History 12

Rachel McMillan
UNIT EIGHT
Creation of Israel

Analyze the documents provided to you. Record the similarities and differences between the two
accounts.
A. The Balfour Declaration 1917
SIMILARITIES

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both texts agreed that Britain had ulterior

motives, such as oil
both texts are subjective, as they place
emphasis on their own interests and
motivations
both texts cited the Balfour Declaration
the Israelis and Palestinians both
acknowledged that the Balfour
Declaration favoured the Zionist
movement
both parties felt a right to the land
both parties dislike the British, but
remain dependent on the superpower

DIFFERENCES

the Israeli text focused solely on Judaism,

while the Palestinian text mentioned both
Jewish and Palestinian interests
the Palestinians viewed the relationship
between Britain and Zionism as unholy,
while the Israelis viewed the relationship
as necessary and acceptable
the Isralis believed Britain owned
Palestine, and that they could grant the
land to whomever they pleased, while the
Palestinians believed Britain was
attempting to grant a land they did not
possess
the Palestinians viewed Britain as making
all the decisions on behalf of Israel,
whereas Israel believed they were acting
on their own accord with Britains
assistance
the Israelis viewed the Balfour
Declaration as a legally binding
document, while the Palestinians did not
each text had different estimates of the
Jewish population

B. Palestine and the Land of Israel in the 1920s

SIMILARITIES

DIFFERENCES

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Rachel McMillan

both texts used excerpts from the White

Paper
both texts have very similar estimates for
the amount of Jewish immigration to
Palestine between the periods of 19191929
both texts stated that there were lootings
and the death of 47 Jews during the 1921
uprisings
both parties recognized times of
considerable peace after the uprisings of
1921
both the Israelis and the Palestinians
agree that British preference was given to
the Jewish during the peaceful period

the Israelis believed that commissioner

Herbert Samuel fully delivered on his
promise of balanced commitments, as
he gave the Arabs state land, established
schools, and rose the literacy rate, while
the Palestinians viewed Samuel as solely
supportive of the Israelis, as he allowed
mass Jewish immigration to Palestine
some Jews viewed the White Paper as a
renewed confirmation of Britains
commitment to Zionism, while the
Palestinians believed the White Paper was
a sign of British withdrawal, and was
intended to please the Arabs
the Israeli text credits the uprising of 1921
to an Arab mob who attacked a group of
Jewish immigrants who organized a May
Day procession, while the Palestinian text
states that the uprising began as a group
of anti-communist Jews clashed with a
group of Jewish communists who were
holding a large demonstration
the Palestinian text cited the Haycraft
Commission, the Mandate Document, the
Fifth Palestinian Conference, and quotes
from Foreign Secretary Lord Curzon
while the Israeli text used no other
sources besides the White Paper
the Israeli text credits Jewish immigration
into Palestine for the improved industry,
infrastructure, and services in Palestine,
while the Palestinian text does not
mention these advances
the Israeli text only mentions Jewish
casualties during the 1921 uprising, while
the Palestinian text mentions both Jewish
and Arab casualties
the Israeli text stated that the uprisings
were halted by organized group of local
residents, while the Palestinian text
credits the controlling of the uprising to
British army and police forces

C. Palestine and the Land of Israel in the 1920s

SIMILARITIES

DIFFERENCES

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both parties recognized the Israeli forces

to have military advantages of Palestine
due to their training
both texts used poems to articulate their
points
the Palestinians or Arabs recognize their
defeat and weakness in both texts
both texts recognize that the Israeli forces
were being supplied with arms
both texts acknowledge the poor conditions
Palestinian refugees had to suffer through in
other Arab nations

Rachel McMillan

the Palestinian text claims that the British

conspired with the Israelis to ensure
military superiority, while the Israeli text
does not credit their military ability to the
British
the Israeli text claims that the British
supported their chosen sides due to
personal inclinations, implying that they
were not the only recipient of British
support in the field, while the Palestinian
text claims the British only supported the
Jewish
the Palestinian text stated that they were
owed compensation according the UN
Resolution, while the Israeli text did not
mention the issue
the Palestinian text continued to focus on
Britains hand in the issues, while the
Israeli text rarely mentioned Britain
the Palestinian text claimed that the
Jewish did not adhere to the conditions of
the established truce
the Palestinian text regularly utilizes
reliable population numbers which
provide an idea of the Jewish to Arab
population ratio, whereas the Israeli text
only mentions Jewish numbers in regards
to population

Describe the impact of the two texts.

Considering that these opposing texts, one from an Israeli position and the other Palestinian, are
being used as reliable sources in the education of youths, it can be concluded that the two differing texts

History 12

Rachel McMillan

would have an extremely negative impact on the future relationships between Israeli and Palestinian
descendants. There is a copious amount of differences between the two texts, which serves only to
preserve the conflict. For example, the Israeli text portrayed ethnic Arabs as violent and uncompromising
due to their lack of willingness to surrender Palestine. In contrast, the Palestinian text portrayed the
Jewish as intrusive, wrongfully entitled, and conspiratorial due to their relationship with Britain, and their
intentions to uproot millions of Arabs in order to create a Jewish homeland. Each text claims that the
other was responsible for unnecessary deaths, and unjustly motivated during the conflict. As these values
and ideas, which can be considered to promote further hatred, are being taught to pliable school children,
the texts guarantee that prejudice and intolerance between the two ethnicities will continue for future
generations.