Rachael Holt

The Clashing of Cultures between Israel and Palestine

Topic: The Clashing of Cultures between Israel and Palestine
Thesis: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict dates back thousands of years but nevertheless the
violence and need for compromise continues to escalate; Israelis, Palestinians and people all over
the world need to seek the truth and advocate peace among the nations; although major news
networks cover this heavily, I still feel people are misinformed about or ignorant to the facts and
details.
-BAM! The country is on lockdown as the threat of rockets linger in the skies. For Israel and
Palestine, this is close to everyday life. But believe it or not these threats do not stop daily life
and by this point are almost to be expected according to my interviewee, Robyn Marowitz who
has lived in Israel to see this for herself.
I.

Introduction
a. Main Points
I.
Past Interactions & Present Engagements
II.
Biases Within the Media
III.
Israeli & Palestinian Perspective
b. Completed Introduction

Many people are unaware of one of the longest existing and most deadly conflicts the
world has ever known: the clashing of cultures between extremist Palestinians and the Israelis.
Several years ago, when I was a nave student in middle school who didnt worry much beyond
whose house I was sleeping over that Friday, I remember reading a status on Facebook that left a
lasting impression on me. The status read, Theres nothing worse in the world than a young
person who could be than apathetic or indifferent. Immediately I looked within myself (and the
words up on dictionary.com) to see if I fulfilled these traits. The word apathy is defined as
lacking interest or concern towards the happenings around oneself. That day, I realized I was
indeed apathetic and from then on out I did not want to be so. As a current college freshman, I
am proud to say that current events and conflicts interest me deeply and culture is something I
cherish. Recently, I have learned more about the particular culture surrounding the Israeli and
Palestinian conflict. I chose to highlight the intensity of this matter through showing you a part
of the movie Beyond the Walls which consists of two prisoners, one Israeli and one
Palestinian, in which the two unite and coexist in order to survive. This particular clashing of
cultures dates back thousands of years, nevertheless the violence and need for compromise
continues to escalate; Israelis, Palestinians and people all over the world need to seek the truth
and advocate peace among the nations; yet, although major news networks cover this heavily, I
still feel people are misinformed about or ignorant to the facts and details.
Transition: Lets begin with how this conflict started in the first place & then
expand on why the two cultures continue to butt heads.

I.

First Point: Past Interactions & Present Engagements

a. Thousands of years ago Palestinians inhabited gaza strip, jews began
to migrate to area.
I. No problems at first
II. More and more migration, overcrowding
III. Violence breaks out
b. Both nations fight over who land belongs to
I.
Zionists (native Palestinians) claim were there first
II.
Many deaths on both sides
III.
He said- she said

Transition: Now that you know some background information, I am going to talk
about how biases can severely affect peoples attitudes toward the Israeli-Palestinian
Conflict.
II.

Second Point: Biases Within the Media

a. Quote: While conflicts of this nature are undeniably complex and
cannot be attributed to any single factor, I believe the media to be one
agent that has had a great influence on the parties involved. Whether
through unintentional bias or intentional manipulation, the Israeli and
Palestinian media play a major role in fueling the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict
I.
Girl who spent 10+ years in Israel & served in defense
force
b. International media coverage
I.
Filming of Israeli 8 day mission portraying Palestinian
violence
II.
Showcasing violence intensifies feelings
c. Each culture picking and choosing what to show publically
I.
For example, both Israel & Palestine drops bombs but each
only shows that the other did it

Transition: Taking into consideration that biases can impact your opinion, carefully
consider the sides of these college students who are deeply passionate about the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.
III.Third Point: Israeli & Palestinian perspective
a. Robyn Marowitz
I.
Jewish, American College student

II.
Spent year in Israel
III.
Best friend is joing Israeli army
IV.
Fear of threats
b. Nick Crossman
I.
Involved in Peace for Palestine group
II.
Has done extensive research
IV.Conclusion
Culture is something young people have the opportunity to be passionate about and
sometimes can even be a matter of life or death. The trail culture leaves is everywhere whether it
be demonstrated through food or something as intense as bombings between two nations.
Although not everyone is deeply interested in why Israel and Palestine just cant seem to get
along, many people are and some of these passionate people reside right here in America. My
artifact Beyond the Walls proves how important compromise and peace is. Conflicts such as
this one, if escalated, can impact nations other than Israel and Palestine alone. That is why
knowing which culture to support is very important. Implications of the violence could wreak
havoc within America itself if not controlled. It is important to realize that when discussing
culture clashes, biases from both sides must be considered. Obviously neither nation wants to
admit fault and would rather look like a victim rather than a predator. Hearing and researching
perspectives from both the Israeli and Palestinian side helped develop my ability to learn without
judgment and to expand my horizons in a sense. Also, I realized that people can make a
difference without directly fighting. Spreading awareness is one way that people can be
advocates for nonviolence. Also, many schools and universities have clubs that educate and
advocate for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To some people this issue might be old news, and a
resolution may seem out of sight. However, I believe if people stop being apathetic, eventually a
compromise will be reached. I was very fascinated to learn more about an issue that has been all
over the news for years in a personal way. For the first time, there were faces and hearts behind
the numbing statistics. Interviewing two college students close to the subject really gave reality
to the fact that cultures around the world affect people everywhere. I highly encourage every
person to be more actively involved in the current events happening around the world and to
make personal the tragedy people encounter every day.