Part 2: Creation of Israel, 1948-9 war and suez 1956

September 1947 - partition - separate Jewish and Arab states.

What did UNSCOP (United Nations Special Committee on Palestine) recommend to solve the issue?

New states were three separate parts linked together.

How would the UNSCOP partition system work?

Shared currency and economic unity.

Collective railways, roads, postal and telephone services.

Jerusalem under international control, as it was holy site in Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

Said Arabs would be angry and would lead to war.

What was the British reaction to UNSCOP's recommendation?

Refused to stay and implement it - refereeing war would be costly + public demanded quick withdrawal.

Recent kidnapping and execution of 2 sergeants by Irgun outraged public.

Completely rejected it - UN had no right to take their land against their wishes.

What was the Arab reaction to UNSCOP's recommendation?

Felt they were paying for Holocaust.

Felt it was unfair - Jews got most fertile land (north and coast) - Jews 1/3 of pop. but got more than half the land.

Accepted reluctantly (many happy that right to independent state was recognised but extremists did not accept anything without Jerusalem).

What was the Jewish reaction to UNSCOP's recommendation?

Wanted Jerusalem (deep in Arab land so hard to visit) as their capital.

Land in south was Negev desert.

400k Arabs in Jewish state.

November 1947 - Partition plan put to vote in full UN general assembly - to pass needed 2/3 majority.

What was UN Resolution 181?

29th November countries voted - 33 for, 17 against, 10 abstained.

What was the result of UN Resolution 181?

Resolution passed - British would end mandate, plan put into action by Aug 1948.

Most Jews pleased, Arabs angry and upset.

Civil war - December 1947 until May 1948 - after British announced withdrawal in May 1948.

What happened after the vote?

Britain stood aside and let chaos ensue.

First 12 days after vote - Arab attacks killed 79 Jews, Jewish reprisals followed and riots became murderous attacks - many killed on both sides.

February 1948 - 100k wealthier Palestinians fled leaving others largely leaderless, demoralised and helpless.

What happened during the civil war and what was the effect?

March 1948 - Haganah (with help of Irgun) - tried to maintain access to Jerusalem (where 100k Jews lived).

What was Plan D (Dalet) and why did it cause controversy?

Some thought it was defensive - others thought it was ethnic cleansing and Arab expulsion.

City was besieged by Arabs - controlled all access - stopped food, water and medical supplies getting in.

Deir Yassin was a quiet village - high on hill above main road to Jerusalem (fierce fighting to control this).

What happened at Deir Yassin?

As part of Plan D - 9th April 1948 - Irgun and Lehi members massacred over 100 men, women and kids.

Begin claimed Arab fighters were using it as a base.

Arab radio stations broadcast details of atrocity to spur people into revenge - unintended effect - 250k panicking Arabs abandoned villages and towns and fled to Arab-controlled towns and safety.

What were the Arab responses to Deir Yassin?

Arab fighters ambushed group of lorries containing Jewish nurses and doctors - killed 70.

14th of May 1948 - 4pm.

How and when was Israel formed?

Jewish leader David Ben-Gurion announced foundation of Israel - ceremony took 32 minutes.

US immediately recognised new state, but Arabs denounced it.

What were the responses to the formation of Israel?

Midnight on 14th May mandate ended - last British soldier left on 15th.

15th - Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Transjordan and Iraq all invaded Israel to destroy it - First Arab Israeli War (1948-9)

May to June 1948.

What occurred in Phase 1 of the conflict?

Israel struggled for survival in first weeks of war - only 1/3 of troops had weapons - only 5 total field guns (compared to Arab 152) - appeared new country would be cut in two.

Arab Legion (Transjordan army) occupied West Bank and captured East Jerusalem (inc. walled Old City with holy sites like Wailing Wall) - Iraqi forces invaded north, Egyptians attacked from south.

11th June - UN negotiator Count Bernadotte arranged 1 month truce.

Israel might not have survived otherwise.

What was the importance of the first truce?

Established military structure with Ben-Gurion in Tel Aviv in charge - gave orders to 4 regional commanders.

Ignored UN's embargo on weapons - money from US Zionists used to buy weapons from Czechoslovakia - 30k rifles, 4.5k machine guns, 47m rounds of ammunition, 84 planes.

July 1948.

What happened in Phase 2 of the conflict?

Israeli forces went on offensive 2 days before end of truce.

Intensive fighting around Tel Aviv and Israeli troops occupied Arab towns of Lydda and Ramleh - expelled Arab populations.

Second truce arranged by UN for 3 months.

October 1948 to July 1949

What happened in Phase 3 of the conflict?

Israel broke truce early again to gain land before peace settlement.

Israel captured Galilee from Lebanon and retook Negev desert - pushed Egypt back into Sinai desert.

Armistice agreements signed with Egypt, Lebanon, Transjordan and Syria in Feb, Mar, Apr and Jul.

Israel won and state of Israel formed.

5 countries (41m) v 1 (650k)

Why did the odds seem stacked against Israel originally?

Determined fighting spirit - fighting for Israel's right to exist and Jews who died in Holocaust.

Why did Israel win the war?

Effective tactics - centrally co-ordinated attacks and troops moved quickly across country as needed - Arabs communicated badly and were un-coordinated - no leader and each country had different motivations - Transjordan only wanted to take West Bank, not destroy Israel - unpopular.

First truce - gained weapons from Czechoslovakia and regrouped while Arabs did little.

Experience - Irgun and Lehi had fought vs. British and many Haganah members fought in WW2 - 5000 foreign volunteers with military experience - only Transjordan out of Arab states had an effective army.

Arab overconfidence - didn't send whole army to war - 20 to 25k in total vs. 35k Israelis - by December 1948, Israel = 108k, around double Arab forces.

Held elections - in Jan 1949 Ben Gurion became their first PM.

What did Israel do politically during the war?

al-Nakba - the Catastrophe

What do Palestinians refer to this war as and why?

1947, 900k Arabs lived in would-be Israel - 300k fled before war and 400k during - 700k landless refugees.