Arab-Israeli Conflict

Arab-Israeli Conflict

1. Britain Leaving Palestine

   • The Bombing of the King David Hotel
     • July 1946
     • British Headquarters for Military
       • Britain no longer in control of Palestine
     • Killed 91 People
   • The Exodus
     • Jewish Agency smuggling people into Palestine
       • 1947 4,500 refugees packed into a ship and sailed to Palestine
         • Britain turned it away back to Europe
         • Framed the British as the Jews had organised media to be there

2. Other Countries

   • USA
     • Rivalry with the Soviets
       • US Government believed that a democratic Israel linked to the United States would be more useful than an Arab Palestine that might turn to the USSR
     • Financially and militarily assisted the Jews in Palestine create a Jewish state of Israle
   • USSR
     • The vote of the USSR was needed for a successful vote in the UN for the creation of a Jewish state
     • Soviet Government wanted Russian Jews to leave
     • The Soviets hoped that the Jewish experiance of Communisism would make Israel a socialist country linked to the USSR
   • Great Britain
     • Ruling Palestine had become expensive for Britain and a great embarrassment because they could not control the Terrorism
       • Did not vote in the final vote

3. United Nations

   • Britain handed over the problem to the United Nations
     • Set up the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP)
       • 1947 decided that Palestine should be partitioned into two states after many meetings
         • Governing these states would be difficult since the Jews and Arabs hated each other
           • There would be large minorities of the other group in each Partition
         • Jews were happy with the UN suggestion
           • The partition promised them their own country to which any number of Jews could come
         • Arabs were unhappy with UN suggestion
           • The partition lost them most of their land
     • British left on the 15 May 1948
   • Partition Vote
     • 33 Yes 13 No 10 No vote
   • Partition
     • 57% of the land was given to the Jews even though they were only one-third of the population
       • Arabs swore to push the Jews into the sea
         • Began taking over main roads and cutting off Jewish settlements
           • 100,000 Arabs evacuated

4. Terrorism

   • Arabs
     • Attacked Jewish Convoys
       • Bombed Buildings
         • Blocked roads to Jerusalem
           • Arabs were prepared for war
     • January 1948 Arab Terrorists ambused a group of the Jewish commando squad killing 25.
   • Jewish
     • Hagenah
       • Sabotage
       • Military Training
       • Illegal Immigration
     • Irgun
       • Attack British intalation
         • Avoid Civilians
     • Stern
       • More Radical
         • Assassinations

5. Responses to the Question of a Jewish Homeland Post-Second World War

   • Mounting Violence Leading to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
     • Arabs continued to oppose increased Jewish immigration into Palestine
       • Said they weren't responsible for Jewish persecution and should not 'bear the brunt' of Jewish resettlement
   • Britain's Response to Jewish Refugees
     • British Government not ready to open borders of Palestine to Jewish Refugees
       • e.g. SS Exodus (4550 survivors of Nazi Concentration Camps) turned away
     • Approximately 40,000 Jews entered Palestine illegally between August 1945 and May 1948