The U.N. Partition Plan and The War of Independence

1. The U.N. Partition Plan and The War of Independence By Zoe and Gavi

2. The United Nations The UN stands for the United Nations. The United Nations is an organization in New York. It has representatives from each country that vote on problems that effect the whole world.

3. U.N. Partition Plan • In 1947, the U.N. was voting whether the Jews should get their own state. At that time, the British controlled Palestine. • The reason for the vote was that the Palestinian Arabs and the Jews both wanted the same land. • During the vote, Jews all over the world hovered over the radio, waiting for the results. • The U.N. recommended to partition the land between the Jews and the Palestinian Arabs. • On November 29, 1947 the resolution passed for a Jewish state and an Arab state with Jerusalem under international supervision. (see map slide) • The vote: 33 countries in favor and 13 against. • On May 14, 1948 the British Mandate ended. • The Arabs did not accept the plan. • The Jews accepted the U.N. Partition Plan and declared their independence. • There was dancing in the streets and great joy, but not for long. • The very next day armies from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia attacked the new state of Israel. • The War of Independence had begun. • Masses of Arab tanks and planes assaulted Jewish settlements. • Hagganah fighters and survivors of WWII camps fought side by side, and settlers in the Kibbutzim defended themselves with rifles and home made bombs. • In January 1949, after 20 months of fighting and thousands of casualties on both sides, a truce was declared. • The Arab governments agreed to end the war. • The Jews now realized their 2,000 year dream. Israel was reborn.

4. Final Vote • On 29 November 1947, the United Nations General Assemblyvoted 33 to 13, with 10 abstentions and 1 absent, in favor of the modified Partition Plan. The final vote was as follows: • In favor (33 countries, 72% of voting): • Latin American and Caribbean (13 countries):   Bolivia,  Brazil,  Costa Rica,  Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela • Western European and Others (12countries): Belgium,  Denmark,  France,  Iceland,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  Norway,  Sweden,  Australia,  New Zealand, Canada,  United States • Eastern European (5 countries):  Byelorussia,  Czechoslovakia,  Poland,  Ukraine (Soviet Union) • African (2 countries):  Liberia,  South Africa • Asia-Pacific (1 country):  Philippines • Against, (13 countries, 28% of voting): • Asia-Pacific (9 countries):  Afghanistan,  India,  Iran,  Iraq,  Lebanon,  Pakistan,  Saudi Arabia,  Syria,  Yemen • Western European and Others (2 countries):  Greece,  Turkey • African (1 country):  Egypt • Latin America (1 country):  Cuba • Abstentions, (10 countries): • Latin American and Caribbean (6 countries):  Argentina,  Chile,  Colombia,  El Salvador,  Honduras,  Mexico • Asia-Pacific (1 country):  Republic of China • African (1 country):  Ethiopia • Western European and Others (1 country):  United Kingdom • Eastern European (1 country):  Yugoslavia • Absent, (1 country): • Asia (1 country):  Thailand

5. Here are the results of the UN Partition Plan Blue……….Jewish State Orange…....Arab State Pink……….International Zone

6. Destruction 7,000 Jews died protecting their state. 3,000 of which were some of the finest soldiers. 4,000 were innocent citizens with no wish to fight. We the Jews nearly lost because of the surprise attack. We finally beat the armies of all the Arabs. We soon revived and were strong again.

7. Map of Israel after the War of Independence