Palestinian occupation is the root cause of Middle East instability and global crises
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/nesrinemalik. "War in Iran, chaos in the Gulf, repression in the west: and the thread that binds them all is Palestine | Nesrine Malik | The Guardian." March 16, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author argues that all the current chaos in the Middle East - wars with Iran, rising energy prices, regional instability - stems from one root cause: Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories. She claims that attempts to build Middle East stability while ignoring Palestinian rights were always doomed to fail, and only giving Palestinians freedom will end these escalating crises.
Conclusion
The Israeli occupation of Palestine is the fundamental cause of current Middle East wars, global instability, and repression, and only Palestinian freedom can resolve these crises
Premises
- The pre-October 7th Middle East 'stability' was built on perpetual Palestinian occupation and denial of self-determination
- Hamas's October 7th attack exposed the unsustainability of this arrangement and triggered escalating regional conflicts
- Israel's security demands have expanded from Gaza to Lebanon, Syria, and now Iran, widening the conflict with each step
- US-backed Arab allies are being forced to pay increasingly high costs for supporting Israeli and American military campaigns
- The occupation of millions of Palestinians creates inherently volatile and explosive conditions that cannot be contained
- Current global consequences (energy prices, regional chaos, Western repression) all trace back to the unresolved Palestinian issue
- Even eliminating all current adversaries won't solve the fundamental problem as long as Palestine remains occupied
Assumptions
- Occupying and denying self-determination to millions of people inevitably creates instability
- Regional stability arrangements that ignore Palestinian rights are inherently unsustainable
- Israel's expanding definition of security threats is arbitrary and self-serving
- Arab populations' solidarity with Palestinians will continue to influence regional politics
- The current crisis could be resolved through Palestinian freedom and self-determination