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Unit II. The Arab-Israeli Conflict. Creating a Jewish State. The Road to Israeli Statehood. I. Diaspora. Diaspora : a scattering of people with shared ethnicity Often associated with Jews After the failed Jewish Revolt against Rome in 70 AD, the Jews scattered
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Unit II The Arab-Israeli Conflict
Creating a Jewish State The Road to Israeli Statehood
I. Diaspora • Diaspora: a scattering of people with shared ethnicity • Often associated with Jews • After the failed Jewish Revolt against Rome in 70 AD, the Jews scattered • By 300 AD, Jews were spread throughout Europe and Middle East • They were often expelled from their new lands • There was no Jewish state
II. Zionism • European Anti-Semitism led some Jews to desire a homeland • Theodor Herzl was outspoken about the need for a Jewish state • Dreyfus Affair (1895) revealed need for Jews to separate (French Jew falsely accused and imprisoned for treason) • Herzl began a movement known as Zionism • Zionism: movement for a Jewish homeland • Began as a secular movement • Palestine became the goal for a Jewish State • Ottomans refused to secede Palestine Theodor Herzl
Herzl addresses Second Zionist Counsel • Britain offered Uganda as a home • Zionists declined because they feared losing the support of religious Jews • Some Jews began immigrating to Palestine • Bought land from absentee landlords
III. World War I • Britain promised Arab independence to all of Middle East in exchange for Arab assistance against the Ottoman Empire • Britain also wanted the support of world Jewry • Many Jews favored Germany (British enemy) because they viewed Russia (British ally) as a historic enemy • Balfour Declaration(1917): announced Britain’s intention to create a home for Jews in Palestine • Britain hoped Jews inRussia and USA would press their governments to stay/enter WWI • 5 days later Bolsheviks (Communists) took over Russia and withdrew from war
IV. British Mandate for Palestine • Both Jews and Arabs felt betrayed when the Sykes-Picot Agreement(1916) became public • Established British and French mandates • Faisal-Weizmann Agreement(1919): Arabs and Zionists mutually agreed to Jewish immigration while protecting the rights of Arabs • Muslim holy places would remain under Muslim control • Agreement only lasted a few months • Britain was mandated to administer Palestine until it was ready for statehood Emir Faisal with ChaimWeizmann
State of Palestine Proposed by Zionists at Paris Peace Conference 1919
Britain’s immigration policies in Palestine favored Jews • Nuremberg Race Laws in Germany (1935) led to over 100,000 Jewish immigrants • Palestinians thought they were suffering for Europe’s problems • Palestinians responded with revolts Population of Palestine by religions
V. Arab Revolt of 1936-1939 • Palestinians wanted an independent state and an end to Jewish immigration • Strikes and protests began against British, but soon attacks on Jews were frequent • Jews formed defense organizations • Haganah: largest defense organization that tried to protect Jews through arms • It would become the core of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) • Irgun: more militant group that retaliated against attacks on Jews • Labeled a terrorist group by Britain and later Israel
Ceasefire declared in 1937 while Britain sponsored the Peel Commission • Peel Commission suggested a partitioning of Palestine into two states • Arabs rejected partitioning – would have relocated 225,000 Arabs and only 1250 Jews • Fighting resumed, but would sputter out by the end of 1939
Jewish bus with protective fencing Irgun’s Symbol An Arab militia
VI. World War II • Britain’s policies began to favor Palestinians in WWII • Britain feared that Arab unrest would jeopardize oil interests in region • Britain released White Paper of 1939 • 1. Creation of a State of Palestine within 10 years governed by Jews and Arabs • No separate Jewish state • 2. Limited Jewish immigration • 10,000 per year • 3. Limited land sales • Only 5% of land was available to Jews • White Paper infuriated the Zionists
King David Hotel • Nazism encouraged immigration • But the British wouldn’t increase quotas • At WWII’s end, Jews turned their forces against Britain • Irgun assassinated the British Minister of State of Middle East (in Cairo) • Pushed Churchill against Zionists • Haganah captured and handed over members of Irgun • After WWII, there were over 250,000displaced Jews and hundreds of thousands of refugees • Britain still refused to increase annual quota. Led to illegal immigration. • Irgun bombed British owned King David Hotel in 1946 • 91 killed • Future Prime Minister Menachem Begin helped plan attack
VII. Britain Withdraws • Britain had little strength or desire to stay in Palestine • Weakened from WWII • Jews received training in British army • Irgun had worsened British relationship with Jews • President Truman supported additional 100,000 Jewish immigrants and a binational federation of Palestine • Britain announced plans to evacuate Palestine in 1948
VIII. 1947 UN Partition Plan • United Nations was charged with finding a solution for Palestine • UN Plan called for the partitioning of Palestine into 2 states • Jerusalem would be an international zone under UN authority • Britain’s mandate would expire on May 15, 1948 • Jews overwhelmingly accepted the U.N.’s plan • Although they wanted Jerusalem • Arabs rejected the plan • UN General Assembly voted in favor 33 to 13 and approved the plan
Votes for UN Partition PlanGreen: voted in favorYellow: abstainedRed: voted against
IX. Civil War • A civil war began between Jews and Arabs after the UN passed the Partition Plan • Haganah reorganized • Grew to 30,000+ members • Neighboring Arab states stayed out • They feared the presence of the British army • Some “volunteers” crossed into Palestine • Jews were on the offensive • They seized some land from the U.N.’s Arab Palestine • DeirYassinMassacre enraged Arabs when Jews killed over 100 Arab civilians (by Irgun) • Over 300,000 Palestinians would flee Palestine • This was the first wave of Palestinian refugees • Golda Meir (future PM) secretly met with King Abdullah (Jordan) • Jordan agreed to seize Arab Palestine, but not encroach upon Jewish Palestine • Jews declared Independence of Israel on May 14, 1948
X. Independence: May 14, 1948 • David Ben-Gurion became the first Prime Minister of Israel • USA recognized the State of Israel 11 minutes after the announcement • War would commence just days after the announcement David Ben-Gurion
XI. 1948 War for Independence • Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan sent troops against Israel • Problems for Arabs: 1. No central command 2. No stated goals 3. Not fully committed • Ceasefire signed with each country in early 1949 • No Arab country made peace with Israel • The ceasefire lines would hold until 1967
Israel after the ceasefire • Notice: who made this map?
Egypt occupied Gaza Strip • Jordan annexed West Bank and East Jerusalem • King Abdullah was assassinated (1951) • The ceasefire borders become known as the “Green Line”
