Here goes. Generally, those that seek to attain more than they have, oppress. Especially with power, but money works too. There is a scale, as with most things, that indicates severity. One could be an ordinary supermarket clerk or a corporate/conglomerate head. Both participate in some oppression, to varying degrees. The clerk, as a consumer, is an enabler, the market for oppression, while the conglomerate head directs it through production and marketing. Social factors are indeed big, and one can see how 'greedy conglomerates' generally outsource their efforts to where social oppression is the to the level where profits can, as safely as reasonably possible, be maximized.
It used to be, until very recently, presence of the the armies of various countries that secured trade routes and trade goods. Now, in the last 50-60 years, in many places, the local gov't is paid to use their own army to keep those same trade routes and resource ownership in the hands of the same people who took it by force.
There is no question in my mind that the Jews have been 'oppressed' (ie:treated unfairly) throughout history. This does not mean that they cannot also oppress. As to the Palestinians, one could ask, "What would have happened to Palestine if the British chose to make Israel somewhere else?"
Ah. I knew I would see something about the 'oppressive' British. I should like to advise many individuals to please learn how to read history texts. Britain in no way is responsible for Israel. They did not 'choose' to make Israel out of the former Palestine. You can thank the League of Nations for that.
The British were pressured into given up the territory of Palestine which in effect belonged to them by the Americans and the League of Nations who felt guilty about what had happened to the Jews at the hands of the Nazis. I would ask that you all refrain from blaming my people for something the Americans forced onto us. One must also remember that not ALL of Palestine was made into a new Israel, only part of it. The Palestinians did not agree with this so they attacked the new Israelis who ended up victorious and took the Palestinian half away. The Palestinians reaped what they sowed.