This is anything but a religious war. Whoever claims this is a religious war just popped that out of his hat, after realizing that those in the fight are of a different religion. Did you ever see any side trying to convince the other, by word or the sward, to convert and join?
And, Akuperma is correct. This is a fabricated fight fomented by the Brits in order to be needed and thus be able to stay in what was never meant to belong to them. Mandate means that they are acting as the hand of the League of Nations.
There were plenty of Arab leaders who were on good terms with the Jews and the Zionists. It was the Brits who incited, and allowed, the Chevron massacre.
They are now stuck in hatred that was passed down by selfish rulers. Indeed religion is used, now as always, to justify and invigorate the hatred. Religion is a powerful tool but it is hardly the cause. People fight for any ideology, including Democracy.
When then-President Bush spoke of invading Iraq, it wasn’t enough to mention our issues with Saddam. In order to Americans to agree, or justify, an attack on a sovereign country we were told that we will be bringing ‘democracy’ to the people of Iraq. Well, think about how the Crusaders or Muslim raiders justified their invasions with the spread of their ideology which they too subscribed to, with even more fervor.
But the motivation is usually less glamorous, and more simple.