History - Consequences Essay

British Empire granted the British Mandate for Palestine

1920

Who and how had the British Government made contradicting promises to?

The British Empire had made contradicting promises to the Jews, in the Balfour Declaration (1917), and the Arabs, in the McMahon-Hussein Correspondence (1915), in that they were promised the land that was Palestine.

After the Balfour Declaration, what did the British Government do in Palestine and what was the result?

Shortly after the publication of the Balfour Declaration, the British Government began to facilitate Jewish immigration to Palestine. From 1922-1935, the Jewish population in Palestine increased from about 9% to about 27%. This resulted in the Arab Uprisings of 1936-1939.

The Arab Uprisings against Jewish Immigration

1936-1939

The Peel Report

In 1936, the British government published the Peel Report (1936) to investigate the Arab Uprisings. It proposed that a partition of Palestine into three sections, an Arab State, a Jewish State and an international zone for the Holy Sites would be the only solution for peace in the area, but this proposal was heavily rejected by the Palestinian people.

The White Paper Report

In 1939, the British government published the White Paper Report (1939), which limited Jewish immigration as a way to appease the Arab Uprisings.

What did the Holocaust do?

The systematic genocide of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust spurred forth the Zionist ideology, as the Jewish community received international support and sympathy. This lead more people to consider the notion in favour of a Jewish State.

Request by U.S. President Truman

The request by U.S. Truman in 1945, after WWII, for the immigration of 100,000 Jews to Palestine, sparked new investigations into the partitioning of Palestine. This responsibility was passed onto the UN.

UN Resolution 181 (3 points)

1. On 29 November, 1947, the UN adopted UN Resolution 181, a proposed plan to partition Palestine, as the end of the British Mandate.
2. The Resolution was heavily rejected by the Arab population but was seen as the "legal basis" for the establishment of a Jewish State by the Jewish population living in Palestine.
3. 33 countries voted in favour of the Resolution, including NZ, 13 against it and 10 abstained.

British announce that the British Mandate for Palestine would end on...

In September, 1947, the British Government announced that the British Mandate for Palestine would end on 14 May, 1948.

14 May, 1948

The Head of the Jewish Agency, David Ben Gurion, read out the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, to the Jewish People's Council gathered at the Tel Aviv Museum.

What happened immediately following the Declaration?

Immediately following the Declaration, Israel was invaded from all sides by the Arab League of Nations following the withdrawal of British troops.

Short term consequence of the Partition of Palestine and the Establishment of the State of Israel.

Arab-Israeli War of 1948

What happened immediately following the Declaration?

Immediately following the Declaration, the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 broke out when Israel was invaded from all sides by a coalition of Arab States, including Syria, Iraq, Transjordan, Egypt and Lebanon, following the withdrawal of British troops.

Who was the conflict between and what was it about?

For the next several months, fighting ensued between the Arab League forces and Jewish militia groups, collectively organised into the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
Most of the conflict involved grappling for territory.

When did the UN facilitate the first truce and how long did it last?

on 29 May, 1948, the UN facilitated the first truce which lasted 28 days. Although the fighting stopped, the opposing sides use this as an opportunity to reinforced their troops and improve their positions.

Fighting continued when Negba was attacked by Egyptian forces

8 July, 1948

When was the second truce established and how long did it last?

A second truce on 18 July, lasted until 15 October, 1948, when the fighting was reignited by the IDF's operations to evade Arab forces.

UN sponsored General Armistice Agreement between the State of Israel and the Arab nations with which it shared a border

Between February and July, 1949, the UN sponsored General Armistice Agreement between the State of Israel and the Arab nations with which it shared a border (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt with Iraq not included)

Results of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 (3 points)

1. The State of Israel controlled what was supposed to be the Jewish State as well as about 60% of what was meant to be the Arab State.
2. 7000 Arabs and 6000 Jews killed
3. 720,000 Palestinians displaced

Why is the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 a short-term consequence of the Partition of Palestine and the Establishment of the State of Israel?

The Partition of Palestine and the Establishment of the State of Israel led to the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 because the tension that was a result of the declaration of a Jewish State led to internal conflict between Arabs and Jews, resulting in territorial disputes.

Long term consequence of the Partition of Palestine and the Establishment of the State of Israel.

Yom Kippur War (1973)

What is Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is a Jewish holiday and is considered to be one of the holiest days on the Jewish Calendar.

How did the Yom Kippur War start?

On the 6 October, 1973, Arab League forces invaded Israel on Yom Kippur, as they knew the nation would be in a vulnerable position. The IDF responded and conflict ensued.

What was this War about and what was a precursor to this War?

This conflict surrounded territorial disputes.
6 years earlier, in June of 1967, Israel had invaded neighbouring Arab nations and had occupied areas such as the Syrian Golan Heights, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and parts of Jerusalem. In what would become known as the Six Day War, Israel has tripled in size, with 20,000 Arabs and 800 Israelis dead in 137 hours.
The Yom Kippur War was a strategic attack, led by Syria and Egypt to regain the land lost in the Six-Day War.

External factors that contributed to the Yom Kippur War (2 points)

1. In the background, the Cold War raged on. The Yom Kippur War was fuelled by the USSR backing the Arab states and the U.S.A backing Israel. This became complicated as these superpowers supplied opposing sides with weaponry.
2. Simultaneously, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided to tactfully reduce their oil production, leading to the 1973, Oil Crisis.

When did the fighting stop?

Most of the fighting stopped on 24 October, 1973, with UN Resolution 339, calling for a ceasefire.
The fighting officially stopped on 26 October, 1973.

Immediate results of the Yom Kippur War (3 points)

1. An Egyptian-Israel peace agreement was signed on 11 November, 1973
2.Syria-Israel peace agreement was signed on 31 may, 1974
3. 3000 Israelis and 15,000 Egyptians and Syrians combined were killed in the conflict

Longer term results of the Yom Kippur War (2 points)

1. On 4 September, 1975, Israel and Egypt signed the Egyptian-Israeli Disengagement Agreement, calling for a zone of separation and disengagement of forces between the two nations
2. The David Camp Accords were signed on 17 September, 1978 by U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The purpose of these negations was to create a framework for Egyptian-Palestinian peace. Although the meetings had limited success, the accords did result in decades long sustained peace between Israel and Egypt.

Why is the Yom Kippur War of 1973 a long-term consequence of the Partition of Palestine and the Establishment of the State of Israel?

The Partition of Palestine and the Establishment of the State of Israel led to the Yom Kippur War because territorial disputes continued to facilitate hostility, conflict and disagreements. This led Israel's neighbouring Arab states to incite a war to try and regain the land lost in previous conflicts.