No region of the world or political issue has brought about such political angst and turmoil as the problems of Israel and the Palestinians. There are so many solutions to the problems faced by the Israeli government and the Palestinian people yet hopes for peace seem to always be thwarted by conservative and religious radicals on both sides. Add to that the outside influence from nations such as the United States, Iran, and Syria.
The creation of a Jewish state had become a necessity in the twentieth century as anti-Semitism was prevalent in Europe and had been for a long time. Early anti-Semitism was rooted in religious differences, but the Age of Enlightenment brought about a new radical and secular anti-Semitism in Europe. In 1917, under the Balfour Declaration, the British declared their territory in Palestine to be a homeland for the Jews; Palestine being the ancestral homeland of the Jews.
The problem with the British declaring Palestine as a Jewish homeland was that Palestine was mostly inhabited by Muslim Palestinians and as well as a sizeable Christian minority. The plan promised not to undermine the rights of those already living in Palestine, however, the tensions created between the new Jewish immigrants and the Palestinians grew. As more and more Jewish immigrants arrived in Palestine, tensions grew even worse. In an attempt to appease neighboring Arab sentiments, the British made the eastern section of Palestine into a separate territory known as Trans-Jordan, which later became the Kingdom of Jordan.
Tensions continued to grow until the British tried to curb the flow of Jewish immigrants to Palestine in the 1930’s while denying Jewish proposals for independence. Finally, as a result of World War II, the efforts to curb Jewish immigration to Palestine failed. Millions of Jewish refugees from Europe made their way to Palestine which further inflamed existing tensions between Jews and Arabs. After a spike in violence between Jews and Arabs in 1947, the United Nations stepped in and approved a partition of Palestine into two separate states, one for Jews and one for Arabs. Jerusalem, considered a holy city by Jews, Muslims, and Christians, was to be placed under international control.
The Arab-Palestinian state, however, never came to be as over the course of the next several months, neighboring Muslim nations sabotaged any hope of peace by supporting Arab forces fighting Jews inside of Palestine. After the British withdrew their peacekeepers and ended their mandate, Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion declared the independence of the state of Israel. The United States swiftly recognized Israel as an independent nation on the very day Ben-Gurion had declared independence. Israel’s neighbors, however, were not as keen as the United States to accept an independent Jewish state. Arab nations refused to recognize the state of Israel and launched attacks with their military forces against the new Jewish state. Those attacks were beaten back and as a result millions of Palestinians fled Israel to the surrounding Arab countries as refugees.
The conflicts between Israel and its neighbors and the conditions in which the Palestinian people living within the West Bank and Gaza are no secret to anyone who has lived in the twentieth or twenty-first century. No separate Palestinian-Arab state was ever created and conditions for Palestinians within Gaza particularly, are deplorable. Arab nations continue to provide support to Palestinian based groups such as Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad which attack Israeli civilians and fuel further animosity and distrust. Meanwhile, the United States continues to provide unyielding support to Israel which emboldens them to the point that they do not concede much to the cause of peace with the Palestinians.
Ultimately, the one thing that has been overlooked that could actually bring peace to Palestine would be a United Nations mandate to finally create a separate Palestinian state. It would be the responsibility of the United Nations to enact such a mandate because Israel would likely never get around to agreeing to the measure on its own. After all, they have very legitimate security concerns and benefit greatly from the buffer zones that the West Bank and Gaza provide. Such a Palestinian state though, would instill pride and dignity in the Palestinian people and that is what is needed for any real chance at peace.
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The best deal they were ever going to get? Well, maybe the Arabs don’t want to cut a deal with their invaders and oppressors. Of course the Israelis want peace now. They have virtually all of Palestine. But they weren’t a very peaceful people in 1948. And they’re still not very peaceful, although our Zionist slanted media likes to make it appear that way.
Every time the Israelis have negotiated peace with the Arabs all they get is dead civilians, the Israelis have lived up to every agreement they have ever signed and the Arabs have reneged. Ehud Barak , when he was the Israeli prime minister offered the Arabs the best deal they were ever going to get and the Arabs walked away, who wants peace?
a common error – the balfour declaration divided palestine into 2 zones, the smaller 15% to become a jewish homeland, the other 85 % to become (trans) jordan. That 85 % was supposed to be the homeland for the muslim palestinians, but the hashemites, a saudi-based tribe, oppressed the palestinan muslims into submission, and used them as a fist against the smaller portion of palestine that was to become israel
pardon me, a correction: a war to be won, not one. Typing while sleepy here, please excuse.
From what I’ve read, their own leaders encouraged them to flee, promising a war to be one after which they could return, but instead, they lost. Regardless, however, whether it was a war after fleeing or a fleeing as a result of attacks, had the war/attacks not happened, they might still be there now. Israel is a democracy and has Arabs living within it now, and Arabs hold posts in the Knesset.
“their own leaders encouraged them to flee” that’s been pretty well debunked. I don’t think Israelis even say that any more.
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deir_Yassin_massacre
the nature of Israels government is rather irrelevent. If I were to drive everyone out of the town next to mine and establish a democracy that wouldn’t make it okay.
I would highly reccomend the book Jerusalem 1913 by Amy Dockser Marcus. It wasa pivotal year and the issues therein continue today.
As I said above, “even if” it was a driving out, it was in response to an attack and not someone just showing up and saying, “This place is mine, so get out.” My point about how the government is today is to say that they could have stayed because in a democracy they would have been accepted. They chose to leave because with them it’s “all or nothing.”
the end result was “this place is mine so get out”. the rest is just theatre.
Jester , your argument is a lie and provably so. David Ben-Gurion urged the Arab population to ” Stay in your homes and we will work together to build the free state of Israel”
Catherine, thank you for a cogent truthful comment , keep up the good work the friends of Israel must get the truth out.
“The killings were condemned by the leadership of the Haganah—the Jewish community’s main paramilitary force—and by the area’s two chief rabbis. The Jewish Agency for Israel sent Jordan’s King Abdullah a letter of apology, which he rebuffed.”
That was a militia, I can’t agree with their actions, but if you’d read up more on it, they gave the civilians notice of the attack and they didn’t leave, war is an ugly game. But I didn’t see you bring up the Baghdad Pogrom which killed like 500 more Jews than that killed Arabs…
One can only wonder what would have happened if the Arab nations had only recognized the State of Israel to begin with, and instead of promising a war that would be won, encouraging the Palestinian Arabs to flee to begin with, or again, what would have happened if these same Arab nations had offered the displaced Palestinians resettlement instead of creating this refugee crisis that continues. Perhaps if they did not have an “all or nothing” attitude in regard to the land, they would have accepted something, but unfortunately, they want the Jews and their Jewish State OUT, COMPLETELY, so the crisis continues. As much as I agree with many viewpoints expressed in articles that I read here on Addicting Info, this is one that I see as very one-sided and incomplete. For another viewpoint and detailed treatment of Myths vs. Facts from a historical standpoint, please see http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths3/MythsEnglish2012.pdf. To read about how anti-Israel media bias, please see http://honestreporting.com/
“Those attacks were beaten back and as a result millions of Palestinians fled Israel to the surrounding Arab countries as refugees.”
they were driven out
Another Lie Lester. your nose is growing.