ABSTRACT
The origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict have been the subject of numerous debates. Biblical enmity between Abraham’s two sons Isaac and Ishmael, the advent of Islam, the prophet Mohammed’s quarrel with the Jews of Medina, the emergence of Zionism in the nineteenth century and British colonial policy in the early twentieth century have all been considered appropriate starting points. While a case for these points of departure can be made, it will be argued here that the Arab-Israeli conflict emerged with the advent of nationalism in the Middle East and that the conflict, in simplistic terms, is one of competing nationalisms.
