| By
secret agreement, France and England share the remnants of the Ottoman Empire
after WW1. Syria and Lebanon become French Protectorates, England gets a mandate
over Palestine, Transjordan, and Iraq. This Mandate preempts self government by
the Palestinians. The
British favor a Jewish homeland in Palestine (Balfour Declaration) and Jewish
immigration increases, so to does the confiscation by Jewish settlers of Palestinian
land, alarming the Palestine Arab population -who had been promised by the British
an independant Arab state at the end of WW1.
1937, Peel Commission finds
the British promises to both Arabs and Jews irreconcilable, declare it's Mandate
unworkable, and recommend partition of Palestine into Arab, Jewish and British
sectors.
Riots erupt and terror attacks
increase from both sides.
The British, after securing
their oil interests in Iraq, and the Suez Canal in Egypt, drop the Palestine issue
like a hot potato. |
Haganah,
Irgun, and the Stern Gang emerge as Jewish terrorist groups. Irgun, led by Menachen
Begin, announce in 1944 a war against the Mandate and intention to assassinate
all British officials who limit Jewish immigration. Most Israeli leaders then,
as now were members or supporters of these Jewish terrorist organisations.
1947, a Conference in London
with British, Arabs and Zionists produce no agreement. Britain declares it will
leave Palestine the following year (May 14), handing the unresolved dispute to
the UN.
The UN adopts a plan for
the partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states, Jerusalem to be under
UN administration. Jaffa to be Arab, Tel Aviv to be Jewish.
Arabs throughout the Middle
East reject the plan, the Jews prepare for war. |
In
1948 Britain exits, and Israel declares its independance. Egypt, Jordan, Iraq,
Syria and Lebanon mobilise for war, and invade the one-day old state.
The UN plan is out the window,
like so many agreements and plans that are to follow.
The Arab armies advance,
and Israel resist, and after 10 days were able to counterattack, repulsing the
Arab armies and grabbing more territory than the UN plan invisioned.
Jordan annexes the West
Bank and Jerusalem's Old City, Egypt occupies the Gaza Strip.
An armistice signed in Jan
1949, ends the first Arab-Israeli War. Israel increases the size of its territory
by 40%. These borders become known as "The Green Line"
Curiously, Israel still
refuses to accept any identified boundaries, and, Israel was established as a
state for "Jewish People", not as a state for its citizens. |
