The Israel-Palestine conflict remains one of the most enduring and contentious disputes in contemporary history, shaping geopolitical dynamics far beyond its immediate vicinity. This multifaceted conflict encompasses religious, intra-religious, and geopolitical aspects, all of which are expertly examined by Stanly Johny in his latest book, Original Sin: Israel, Palestine and the Revenge of Old West Asia. In this work, he traces the historical origins of the conflict up to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, along with the ensuing retaliation and its ramifications.
The author structures the book into seven chapters, beginning with an examination of the origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He delves into the roots of Zionism, the events leading to the Balfour Declaration, and the internal divisions within the Zionist movement. Additionally, the text explores how the establishment of a Jewish state provoked a violent reaction from Arab nations. Immediately following its creation, Israel faced military aggression from four Arab countries, and by the conclusion of the war, it had acquired more territory than was allocated in the United Nations’ 1948 plan. The subsequent experience of the Palestinians is referred to as the naqba (catastrophe), during which approximately 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly removed from their homes. Stanly identifies a recurring theme in this narrative, referencing a 1937 diary entry by David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, in which he wrote, “We must expel Arabs and take their place.”
The book elaborates on all the Arab-Israeli conflicts, particularly highlighting the Six-Day War, which significantly altered the region’s trajectory, notably by establishing Israel as a strategic ally of the United States in West Asia. Following this, the Yom Kippur War forced Israel to acknowledge the concept of a Palestinian state for the first time, leading to recognition from a prominent Arab country, Egypt. Additionally, the Oslo Accords and the emergence of Hamas are interconnected, as the Oslo agreement contributed to the decline of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in its struggle for dominance against Hamas. The book is enriched with personal anecdotes that the author gathers throughout his journeys in the conflict zone. He describes Ramallah as “one of the most challenging government administrative centres to reach due to Israeli occupation.” Regarding Jerusalem, he astutely notes that it is “a city where history is frozen in every corner.” Stanly also clarifies the importance of the Temple Mount, Haram esh-Sharif, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
In his examination of Iran’s Axis of Resistance, the author characterizes Iran as the “strategic octopus of West Asia,” with the Ayatollah-led regime at its center and militias such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Islamic Jihad serving as its extensions. Hezbollah was established by Iran in response to Israel’s assault on Lebanon in the early 1980s, while Hamas emerged independently but has since received Iranian support to confront its adversaries, Israel and the United States. Through this Axis of Resistance, Iran effectively maintains a buffer against conflict at its borders, employing asymmetric warfare tactics against Israel within the region.
The book also includes a chapter on India’s approach to the crisis. Since the era of Nehru, when India distinctly supported Palestine, there has been a notable shift under Prime Minister Modi, characterized by a clear inclination towards Israel. This shift, often referred to as the de-hyphenation of India’s policy on Israel and Palestine, began during the premiership of P.V. Narasimha Rao in 1991. The concluding section of the book examines the transformation of India’s stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Officially, India endorses a two-state solution that envisions a sovereign and independent Palestine. Following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, India expressed solidarity with Israel; however, the subsequent indiscriminate bombings of Palestinian territories prompted India to advocate for a ceasefire and urge Israel to consider civilian casualties in Palestine. Despite this criticism, Israel has largely minimized these concerns, and the amicable relationship between the two nations persists.
Stanly perceives Israel’s confrontational and aggressive posture, characterized by its reliance on military force, as a moral, geographical, and historical entrapment. The Jewish nation continues to bear the consequences of this stance, as peace in the Middle East remains unattainable—a situation that will persist until the fundamental issue of the Palestinian question is addressed. During a visit to Bethlehem, located less than 10 kilometers from Jerusalem and recognized as the birthplace of Jesus, the author reflects deeply. His insights encapsulate the conflict: “On one side, you have the place where Jesus was born; just a few hundred meters across the square, you have a mosque where Islam’s second Caliph prayed. And in between, a pub where you can sit back and deliberate on what went wrong over the centuries.”
Foreign policy is primarily grounded in practical considerations and is characterized by a pragmatic approach. Ethical and moral principles typically fall outside the realm of geopolitics. The global perspective on this conflict is influenced by realpolitik. When India interacts with Israel while simultaneously advocating for a sovereign and independent Palestine, it appears to diverge from its pro-Palestine stance maintained for nearly four decades. Nevertheless, India exemplifies the notion articulated by Palmerston: “Nations have no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests.”
Original Sin offers a compassionate viewpoint on the West Asian conflict, showcasing the author’s profound emotional engagement with the topic, in addition to the extensive first-hand research he has conducted. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the origins of the conflict, the diverse stakeholders involved, and the far-reaching consequences of the war.
Kanishk Shekhar is a columnist and also teaches students preparing for Civil Services Exam.
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