Palestine Partition & War for Israel’s Independence

Britain’s refusal to lift Immigration bans and refusal to acknowledge Jewish state Led to much rebellion by Jews in Palestine. Around 1945, David Ben-Gurion resorted to military measures, using arms that had been stockpiled during WW2. The Haganah—Jewish Militia, supported the Irgun and the LEHI These three groups assassinated British officers, soldiers, and police British respond by arresting and raiding the Jewish Agency and leaders of the Haganah. Menachem Begin (future prime minister) Irgun’s bomb the King David Hotel in 1946

What do you see ?

The UN Partition Plan –Resolution 181(1947) UNSCOP- The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine Used to make recommendations on the lands future government. UNSCOP-made up of representatives from 11 nations.

At the end of 1946 over one million Arabs and 600, 000 Jews resided within the borders of the Palestine Mandate.

The UN Partition Plan On November 29,1947 the UN General Assembly voted to partition Palestine into two states one Jewish, and the other Arab. The partition divides the country so that each state would have a majority of its own population. According to the UN Partition Plan, the area of Jerusalem and Bethlehem was to become an International Zone.

Exodus 1947

Exodus 1947 The Exodus was a ship that became famous for what happened to it. It was filled with Holocaust survivors and as soon as it left port in France it was accompanied by British destroyers. On July 18th near the coast of Palestine, it was rammed by a British vessel. A few immigrants are killed

Exodus Continued The ship was eventually towed to shore, but the immigrants were not allowed into Palestine. They were sent back to Germany by the British until the establishment of Israel in 1948. Britain really showed their resolve to limit immigration by the Exodus incident.

Israel is Born Publicly the Zionist leadership accept the Plan. Though, they had hoped to expand the borders assigned to the Jewish state. Arabs and the Arab Palestinians reject the plan and fighting breaks out between the Arab and Jewish residents almost immediately after the Adoption of the UN Plan.

Israel is Born May 15 , 1948 British evacuate Palestine Zionists Proclaim the State of Israel Hostility from the Arab states leads neighboring Arab States (Egypt,Syria,Jordan and Iraq) to invade Israel. These Arab states thought they could take on the Israeli forces, but were mistaken because the Jewish state had been gearing up their army for some time now.

War of 1948-1949 In the course of the war, Zionists not only managed to hold all of the areas assigned to them by the UN They seize part of the land designated for the Palestinian state as well. The Palestinian Arab state envisioned by the UN Partition Plan was never established.

Results of the 1948-1949 War The Palestinian refugee problem really arises as result of this war. 700,000 Palestinians voluntarily flee their homes in the newly created state. They did this to avoid the upcoming war and clear room for the invading Arab states. The Arab states promised them they could go back and take control of the land once they push out the Jews.

Result:Arab and Israeli War of 1948-1949