The Land of Israel has a long history, but the last time you have probably heard about it was when the Roman Empire took over. They renamed this land, instead of Judea: Syria-Palestina. Most of the people were either killed, or sold into slavery and sent all over the Roman Empire. Some stayed.
Israel then after many centuries came under the oppression of the Ottoman Empire which needed the tax money from this area and much later forcably resettled Arabs here to live along with the Jews who never left.
The British Mandate began after WWI. They didn't have an easy time here in Israel, with both the Jews who were desperate to leave Europe, to get away from Hitler, wanted to come to then called "Palestine," a name that was foisted on the land by the Romans, and the Arabs who were living in the land at the behest of the Ottoman Empire, didn't want the British here either.
Imagine that you are a survivor of Auschwitz and you are the only one left alive in April 1945. You used to be a University Professor, but now are willing to work for bread at anything. You have tried to find your family members, but none are left living. You tried to go home in Poland, but your house has other people living there and they chase you away. You have tried to go to the United States, but they have a immigration quota. The only place to go is "Palestine." You get on an overloaded boat and it sneaks against the British blockade and you land in Haifa harbor. You need a place to live. The Hagana finds you a small hut on a kibbutz in that comes under attack by Arabs who hate you just because you are Jewish. You defend yourself and your kibbutz against the Arab agression. You don't want their houses, just a piece of land that they are not using. Why can't these people live in peace?
There were terrorist attacks by the Jews against the British and terrorist attacks by the Arabs against the Jews too.
It got to be too much bother for the British, who most often sided with the Arabs. Since the partition of India and Pakistan worked so well, NOT! They decided to do the same in the Middle East, that is, after they had already given the lion's share of the British Mandate to a small Saudi Arabian prince: Abdullah, and turned it into Trans-Jordan in 1922. The rest of the land that was to be partitioned, really a small slice, if you look at the map, this land was to be home to Arabs and Jews in a complicated arrangement.
The Jews, didn't really agree, but as the end of the Mandate came into sight, they agreed. The Arabs, not only didn't agree, but went to war in 1948. The outcome of the this unwarrented war on the part of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia was that Israel won, leaving the West Bank and Gaza for the Arabs to do what they wanted. But they want to try to embarass Israel and still after 70+ years have still not lived up to their promises for real Peace. A few Arab countries, Baharin, and UAE have peace agreements and ambassadors in Israel, but the rest are at a cold, very cold stalemate.
Watch this video:
Now study this page from about half way down, starting with the timeline of Modern Israel
https://www.ducksters.com/geography/country/israel_history_timeline.php
https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/museum/ordinary-man/recognition-of-israel
Discuss:
Why didn't the Arabs want Partition? What would they have gained?
Why did the British think it would be a good idea?
What other country should have been the "homeland of the Arabs?"
Why didn't the Arabs make a new country in 1948 with the West Bank and Gaza?
Homework:
You are an advisor to President Truman: give your opinion about th recognition of a Jewish state on May 14th 1948, Give three reasons for or against Partition.
No comments:
Post a Comment