Environmental Injustice: The Root Cause of War (A Case Study of Israel and Palestine)

Abstract

This article examined the Israeli–Palestinian conflict through the lens of environmental justice, arguing that ecological inequality is not only a consequence of the conflict but also a root cause that sustains it. Drawing on historical and contemporary evidence, the study highlights how access to vital resources - water, land, energy, and infrastructure - has been systematically controlled to the detriment of Palestinians. Israel’s dominance over the Jordan River Basin, Mountain Aquifer, and fertile agricultural land is contrasted with Palestinian restrictions on well-digging, farming, and infrastructure development. The blockade of Gaza and repeated targeting of essential facilities have further entrenched ecological vulnerability. Climate change amplifies these challenges, yet adaptive innovations promoted by Israel are not extended equitably to occupied populations, creating what scholars increasingly call environmental apartheid. The article situates these practices within international law and human rights frameworks, emphasizing the violation of the rights to water, food, and a healthy environment. At the same time, it explores environmental peacebuilding as a potential pathway for cooperation, citing comparative cases such as the Indus Waters Treaty. The conclusion asserts that sustainable peace cannot be achieved without addressing environmental injustice, and that equitable resource distribution - beginning with water - may provide the foundation for a just and lasting resolution.