Facts Section by Lila Rhee ’26
Welcome to The Grape, the opinions sub-section of The Centipede. Originally published as a paper of its own here at Concord Academy back in the 1980s, The Grape has been re-created with the goal of increasing dialogue regarding issues pertinent to our community. In this issue, due to the number of prospective writers, The Grape took on a video format. The video is roughly 15 minutes long and each “writer” responds to 7 questions. Scanning the QR code above will take you directly to this uncut video, a first take on diversifying The Centipede’s mediums. A special thanks to Anisa, Levi, and Parker for sharing their views and engaging in conversation together. Please reach out to The Grape’s operating officer, Jacob (jacob.himelfarb@concordacademy.org), with feedback, questions, interest, or constructive hate mail.
A Simplified Timeline of the Israel-Palestine Conflict
1915: United Kingdom Promises Arabs a Palestinian State
Sir Henry McMahon, His Majesty's High Commissioner in Egypt, wrote to the Sharif of Mecca, Husayn ibn Ali that Britain would “recognise and support the independence of the Arabs within the territories proposed by him [including Palestine]” in exchange for support in World War I.
1917: British Rule over Mandatory Palestine
Palestine, a former Ottoman territory, was placed under British administration by the League of Nations after World War I.
1917: Balfour Declaration
Arthur James Balfour, on behalf of the United Kingdom, issued the Balfour Declaration, which pledged to, in “sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations,” establish Palestine as a national home for Jewish people. Some Zionist leaders had been calling for the creation of the Jewish State since 1896, although it is important to note that opposition to Zionism was prevalent, and did not gain widespread popularity until after the second World War.
1922-1947: Large-Scale Jewish Immigration to Palestine
From 1914 to 1947, the Jewish population in Palestine rose from 14 percent to 32 percent, as Jews fled persecution in Europe, particularly the Holocaust.
1947: Rising Tension and United Nations Proposal
Tension and violence had risen in Palestine between the competing Jewish and Palestinian nationalisms. The United Nation proposed a plan to partition the territory into two states and internationalize Jerusalem. Israeli leaders accepted the proposal; the Arab League, which represented Palestine, rejected it.
1948: End of British Mandate and Proclamation of Israeli State
Israel's founding father, David Ben-Gurio, declared the modern state of Israel. The next day, as decreed by the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, the British left Mandatory Palestine.
1948-present: Conflict and Annexation
The day after the proclamation of the state of Israel, five Arab states declared war on Israel. Israel expanded its land to 77 percent of Mandatory Palestine. In 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip. During these annexations, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes.
1987-2000: Intifadas and Oslo Accords
In 1987, after decades of unresolved conflict, Palestinians began the first intifada, a period of civil disobedience, peaceful protests, and riots. In 1988, the Palestine National Council, the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization, proclaimed the state of Palestine.
As a result of the increasing violence of the first intifada, Israel elected a new government. The Palestine Liberation Organization and the Israeli government engaged in negotiations that would become the Oslo Accords, a series of agreements created to establish Palestinian self-determination and lay the groundwork for a two-state solution.
2006: Hamas Victory in Parliamentary Elections in Palestine
Hamas, an Arabic acronym for Islamic Resistance Movement, was founded in 1987 during the first intifada. The group is dedicated to the establishment of a Palestinian state and does not recognize Israel as a legitimate nation. Hamas has been designated a terrorist group by the US, EU, and other nations. In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections and assumed administrative control of Gaza and the West Bank.
2023-present: Israel-Hamas Conflict
In October 2023, Hamas launched an unexpected attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 civilians and taking 251 as hostages. In response, Israel launched an offensive in Gaza, killing over 46,000 civilians in Gaza and displacing 2 million Palestinians million as of October 2024. The United Nations has demanded that Israel return any land occupied during and after 1967 and withdraw military forces from the West Bank. Between October 2023 and September 2024, the United States has provided more than 22.76 billion dollars of military aid to Israel.
On January 15, the Israeli government and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza and an exchange of hostages and prisoners. The agreement, brokered by Qatar and Egypt with American support, was designed to open up the possibility of an end to the 15-month conflict in Gaza. As of May, 21, 2025 there is no active ceasefire plan and most foreign aid remains barred from entering Gaza.