The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been one of the most divisive contests in the history of the Middle East. Unfortunately, Israel has been a hub of violence since its inception in 1948. At that time, the area was primarily inhabited by Arab Muslims and Christians, but Jews comprised about 10 percent of the population. The Jewish population in Palestine increased after the Nazi Holocaust in World War II, which bolstered Zionist efforts to create a Jewish national homeland in Palestine, which the Jewish people consider their Holy Land. In 1947, the United Nations (UN) voted to divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab states—a decision that was bitterly rejected by neighboring Arab nations, who resented giving what they considered Arab lands to non-Arab people. In 1948, Jewish nationalists proclaimed the state of Israel according to the boundaries decided by the UN. The armies...