 Your role play was part of what really happened in 1947  UNSCOP an 11 member team was there to conduct a survey and make proposals  This led to a vote in the UN and 33 to 13 with 10 abstentions, the vote was in favour of a partition in Palestine to create two areas : for the Jewish population and the Palestinians

 Biltmore Programme  Signals the start of the US involvement in the Middle EAst  American Zionists called for a ‘commonwealth’ in ALL of Palestine  In 1945 with the end of the war an all out media and propaganda offensive to highlight the plight of the Jews  The Holocaust a major emotive issue  President Truman calls for the immigration of 100,000 Jewish refugees into Palestine.

Bevin suggest Anglo-American Committee of Enquiry which met in Washington, Nov 1945  Report: demand for 100,000 certificates of entry into Palestine  Palestine to be placed under UN trusteeship not endorsed by US or UK!  Bevin rejects certificates idea ( see page 103)  Morrison Grady Plan July 1946 also callled for UN trusteeship….rejected

 British authorities refuse Jewish refugees into Palestine  ‘Illegal’ immigrants stopped and sent back  Rising anger against British policies  Haganah continue illegal immigration  Arab sentiment: Holocaust issues belong to Europe and Europe needs to find a solution  The Yom Kippur declaration by Truman provides for fresh tensions in the Middle East  Formation of the Arab League

By 1946 certain issues are clear  British policy in the Middle East is not working  US and GB want a hold in the Middle East but do not want a shooting war  US and GB felt that if hostilities broke out on the ground, the Jewish population would be massacred by the Arabs  Arab demands for a unitary state in which they would be the permanent majority  Jewish Agency on the other hand demand partition of Palestine  Truman’s day of Atonement declaration

Palestine GB no longer a major player Holocaust : a major factor US involve- ment in the Middle East Split among the Jews Ben Gurion Vs Chaim Weizmann Arab leadership in disarray Emerging Cold War

 Newly formed League of Arab States  The rights of the Arabs cannot be touched and the injustice of the Holocaust should not make injustice in Palestine  The Alexandra Protocol: a warning and a support for Palestinian claims but nothing further. Sympathizes with Holocaust but does not want Palestine to be part of the solution

 Split in leadership  Emergence of David Ben Gurion  Wanted leadership of the US to resolve the situation  Felt the time for discussion over and a call for action  Received funding from the US to buy weapons  By this time there were 3 groups speaking for the cause of the Jews in Palestine  Ben Gurion and Ma’pai or workers Party  Irgun set up 1930 by Vladimir Jabotinsky and its offshoot LEHI( set up 1940 by Isaac Stern): Violent right wing organizations whose aim was to create a Jewish state in all of Palestine

 Zionists target the British  Murder of British soldiers by Irgun  Attack on the King David Hotel 22/07/1946  British Military HQRS  Mayor of New York raised 2m for Jews to purchase weapons:  GB objects to this  In 1947 two British soldiers hanged as reprisal for the execution of the three Irgun, British responded with characteristic heavy-handedness  Exodus Incident led to widespread condemnation of British Policy and support for Jewish demands for Palestine as homeland  By 1947 Britain tired. 100,000 troops and Police tied up in Palestine  Britain decided to let the UN deal with the matter

 United Nations Special Committee on Palestine  11 members  Task: to investigate and to make recommendations on how to resolve the problem  UNSCOP : received full co-operation from the Zionists and boycotted except at the end by the Arabs  Exodus incident occurs  BY August 1947 : report was ready

Division of Palestine into 2 areas 57% to Jews ( 33%) Lands with a greater Jewish population to be awarded t the Jews and like wise for the Arabs This resulted in a criss-cross arrangements with ‘kissing points’ Jerusalem to be an international zone governed by and international force

 Vote to partition Palestine :Resolution 181 passes with 33 to 13 votes with 10 abstentions  The Arab Higher Committee representing the Palestinian Arabs rejected the UN Partition Plan  Civil War in Palestine begins on the 30 th of November as a protest towards the proposed Partition

 3 day strike called by Arab Higher Committee  British announcement: Mandate in Palestine to end on the 15 th of May 1948 instead of a further 2 years  Jewish forces acted to defend civilians and settlements and then acted to evict Muslim populations within their designated areas  Arabs supported by Syrian Egyptian and Iraqi forces  In March Plan Dalet formulated

 Read textbook Source A  Discuss Deir Yassin Massacre  Part of the attempt to gain control of Jerusalem  Did it harden attitudes towards the Palestinian Arabs  Was it the start of the Al Naqba ( the disaster)

 Declared on the 14 th of May, 1948  Read text page 110: what is Eretz Israel?  The state of Israel recognized 11 minutes later by the US  What was the US role in this? 

 15 th May the armies of Egypt Syria Transjordan Lebanon and Iraq invade the newly formed state of Israel

Immediate State of Israel Partition of Palestine Short Term ? Long Term ?

Political Economic Other Social

 3 phases: civil war  Fighting 15 th May to 10 th June 1948  UN sponsored Cease fire 10 th June to 9 th July  Fighting commences with Egypt breaking ther truce 9 th -18 th July 1948  2 nd truce: Count Bernadotte asked to negotiate.  Bernadotte Plan rejected  Bernadotte murdered by the Stern gang  Israel dissolves Stern gang  Stern gang members join newly formed Israel Defence force( IDF)

 15 th October to 7 th January this time Israel broke the ceasefire to defeat Egyptians in the south  Israel under pressure from the US to withdraw from Egyptian territory  Israel gained control of the Negev desert when ceasefire was announced.

 Israel- exhausted but well organised  Loss of 6000 amounted to 1% of population  Israel now controlled 79% of Palestine  700, 000 Palestinian became refugees  Israel survived its first test  It showed to Israel the advantages of action over negotiation and became the cornerstone of all future policy  The Jewish people had proved that they would no longer be the underdog  Israel signed armistice agreement with Arab states