[compare and contrast] OUTLINE - Essay Example

Full & Number: (Compare and Contrast) 28 February (estimated word count = 594) If Americans Knew I. Introduction – the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is arguably one of the most intractable political problems of the world today. It affects one of the most vital regions in which the U.S. has a vested interest in. However, many Americans do not know the real score on this issue in which the geopolitical stakes are very high and the abhorrent results are so one-sided only.II. Discussion – the following paragraphs will detail how the situation is very skewed against the Palestinian people in their conflict with their Israeli counterparts.

Each one of the items gives particulars why this is so based on facts and figures. A. From September 29, 2000 to the present, a total of 124 Israeli children were killed in the conflict while 1,463 Palestinian kids died during the same period. This translated to the unfavorable ratio of about 12 Palestinian kids killed for every dead Israeli child (11.8:1). This figure illustrates how unbalanced the conflict is between these two peoples.B. For the same period, some 1,084 Israeli adults died but on the other hand, at least approximately 6,430 adult Palestinians were killed in this conflict.

This figure translates to an unfavorable ratio of six Palestinians killed for every Israeli adult who died (5.93:1). It means a war that is unequal in terms of casualties (figures can be higher as not all are accounted for).C. About 9,226 Israelis were injured in the conflict while some 45,041 Palestinians are injured during the same time frame. The ratio is five Palestinians for every Israeli (4.88:1).D. The state of Israel received almost US$3 billion in military aid from the U.S. in the 2011 fiscal year (about US$8.

2 million per day!) while Palestine got nothing whatsoever, as in zero, nada, nil or zilch. It is money better spent in America for education and jobs generation. E. There are no Israeli citizens held as prisoners in any Palestinian jails while there are 5,300 Palestinians detained by Israeli authorities for various offenses such as those in prison as political detainees. There might be some Israeli POWS (prisoners of war) held as captured during combat but this is negligible compared to the sheer number of Palestinian civilians that are in Israeli jails without proper charges filed against them and are being held indefinitely. F. No Israeli home has ever been demolished or destroyed by Palestinian authorities while some 24,813 Palestinian houses were ordered demolished by Israeli housing authorities.

Israel continues its housing expansion activities in so-called new settlements despite protests. G. The official Israeli unemployment rate is at a manageable 6.4% while Palestinians suffer a 16.5% unemployment rate in the West Bank and worse in Gaza at an estimated 40%. This high rate of joblessness contributes to grievance and resentment which fuel the conflict. H. Palestinians do not have a single settlement on Israeli-claimed territory while state of Israel has some 236 Jewish-only settlements and outposts on the former Palestinian land.

It is one issue which defied all attempts at resolution; Israel continues to build new settlements. III. Conclusion – the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved without any just or lasting equity in terms of treatment by the United States of America. The country has been biased towards the state of Israel in most of its prior attempts at negotiation despite claims to the contrary of trying to be fair to both sides. Such a grossly unequal situation cannot be the basis for a long-lasting solution in the search for an enduring peace in this important region.

Work CitedIf Americans Knew. “What Every American Needs to Know about Israel/Palestine.” www.ifamericansknew.org 25 Oct. 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.