Trying to grasp the life and death struggle represented in your question presents a modern day equivalent of the Gordian Knot that isn't soon to be cut.
Loosehead's short answer touches on but one of the components of the violence that engulfs that land. A comprehensive understanding
can include the Book of Genesis (Chapter 16) from the Old Testament or
Tanakh, wherein the father of both the Hebrews and those later to becom Arab's and recognized as such by both people's had two children in his old age... one, Isaac, became the progenitor of the Jews and the other, Ishmael (by his wife's handmaiden
Hagar) who fathered all of the various Arab tribes, and historically began the conflict.
However, the British Mandate following WW I and it's attempted enforcement by the newly formed United Nations following WWII also contributed greatly. Both sides strenuously maintain the justness of their positions, but it's not soon to be resolved... Here's a fairly level headed historical account of the
internecine warfare...
http://holyland-isreal.tripod.com/partition.ht m . Many on both sides, will disagree with almost everything the article... but you'll not find any historical account that doesn't favor one or the other...