Bob Hawke once said; “Unless and until something concrete is done to address the Israeli-Palestinian issue, there will be no real beginning in the war against terrorism.” Perhaps Hawke expressed in a few simple words one of the most complicated issues in the world today, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As Israel continues to strip Palestinians of their land and fears its very existence due to Palestinian terrorist acts, there appears to be no solution in sight. The world seems to be divided and all over the place when it comes to this issue. According to the Middle East Institute for Understanding, approximately 129 countries recognize Palestine as a state, while many others do not. Especially the political issues within this issue are not just about Palestine and Israel but about the world as a whole, as the Middle East and the West seem to disagree. This has had and will continue to have a huge impact on many political affairs around the world, particularly in the current fight against terrorism. I personally believe that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, despite being a very complicated issue, has a simple solution. In this context, I firmly believe that the occupation of the West Bank by Israeli forces is extremely unjust and must end. Once this is achieved, the two-state solution will be the most effective way to bring peace to the area. The occupation of the West Bank violates political and legal rights, human rights and illegally forces Palestinians who have lived in the area for hundreds of years to abandon their land. This conflict is at the peak of its importance and a solution is of extreme necessity as nuclear problems arise in the Middle East due to tension between Israel and its surrounding neighbors, and... middle of paper... .. I believe Israel must respect international law and must be stopped when these laws are violated. I believe that Palestinians should be granted their rights. I fully understand that Israel is extremely concerned about its security as it is mostly surrounded by enemies, however I do not believe that the oppression and ultimate control of the Palestinians will bring this security that they desire, but instead does exactly the opposite. Works Cited (1986). Holy Bible. (NIV ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan(2012). Israel/occupied Palestinian territories. Amnesty International, Retrieved from http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territoriesAhmad, H., & Last Abu-Lughod Lila , (2009). Nakba: Palestine, 1948, and the claims of memory. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.