What's Happening in Gaza and Jerusalem?

The catastrophe of the U.S.'s embassy move

The recent situation of the U.S. embassy move has Palestinians in Gaza protesting furiously about the ownership of Jerusalem. The U.S. has officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel with the move. These Palestinians still claim the city of course, as they were forced out of the city when the state of Israel was formed. So far, this has started a severe conflict between the Gazans and Israelis, and the death toll is severe. Here's a "Who, What, When, Where, Why" chart that might help you understand a little more:

Who: Palestinians and Israelis are at conflict due to the Embassy moving, and Palestinians protest for the rightful return of territory (Jerusalem) that has become part of Israel (especially now with the US recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital).

What: An embassy is a place (most likely placed in the capital of a place) representing a country, that is the residence and/or offices of an ambassador. The U.S. has recently moved their embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

When: This month, the U.S. has officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by moving their embassy to the city. This also lands on may sacred dates for Palestinians as well, including Nakba Day, and Ramadan (the Muslim holy month).

Where: Israel is located in the Middle-East, in the area next to Egypt. Jerusalem specifically is located near the coastline of the state. Gaza is a really small rectangle-shaped region on the corner of Israel’s coastline.

Why: When the U.S. moved their embassy to Jerusalem, they indirectly yet completely directly recognized Jerusalem as the capitol. This upset Palestinians, mostly because they claim the city due to its holy history and importance to religion.

My opinion on these events is kind of conflicted, as it is with all foreign affairs. It always seems there are two sides of a story, or something like and analogy of Newton's third law happening with society or the world. I watched a TedTalk yesterday about how the world is really progressing, despite what people are think in this day and age, and I agree on this topic. However when you observe situations like this, you wonder what exactly is at play (if you know what I mean, I feel like that’s a little vague). First of all, you have the U.S. sweeping right onto the floor and initiating this whole thing (by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel). Palestinians still claim Jerusalem, or at least parts of it, and do not agree that it really belongs to Israel as a state. When the U.S. moved their embassy there, you could say we rubbed it directly in the Palestinians’ faces. You see, when the state of Israel was founded, It forced all those Palestinians out of the area and into where Gaza is now or elsewhere. So the choice to move the embassy was either a revolutionary risk, or a way of announcing who’s in each corner of the ring… or both. This (the current state of affairs) could obviously affect the U.S. with concerns of Middle-Eastern wars as well as backlash within our own country. We all have our own battles, and this is the Palestinians' battle to reclaim the holy land that they claim, at this point. While I may not have complete knowledge, this is my take on the topic.

Here is some important vocabulary that may help in understanding the topic:

Embassy — the official residence or offices of an ambassador.

Peace — freedom from disturbance and/or conflict; quiet and tranquility.

Gaza — Self-governed Palestinian territory found on the east coast of the Mediterranean sea (very close to Israel, basically inside/surrounded by it).

Palestinian — relating to Palestine or its peoples.

Finally, here is a pod cast from Vox Media — who I find to be a trustworthy news source — about what's going on and what you need to know.