Founding the State of Israel:

A Look Into the History of the Modern State

By Eitan Scheinthal
Tufts University 309 Tilton Hall, 1 Tilton Lane Medford, MA 02155 Escheinthal@mac.com 609-707-6840

Submitted 12/1/12

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With a growing unrest in the Middle East and an international media motivated by prot and not the facts, it becomes paramount to remind ourselves why we stand with Israel and how it became what it is today.

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Key Historical Events Enabling the Existence of the Jewish State

This presentation will direct a certain focus

towards the Balfour Declaration, the British Mandate Period, the United Nations Partition Plan, Israels Declaration of Independence and the Six-Day War in an attempt to create a brief but clear picture of Israels founding.

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The Balfour Declaration (November 2, 1917)

Arthur J. Balfour, the United Kingdoms Foreign Secretary at the time, issued a letter to Baron Rothschild, a prominent gure in Britains Jewish community, recognizing the Zionist movement and expressing the British empires intention to create a national homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine. The fact that no European country (and even the United States) refused to absorb the remaining holocaust survivors inuenced the U.K.s promise to establish a national home for Jews. Garnering the support of one of the worlds greatest powers at the time was a great victory for all zionists alike. The League of Nations accepted the declaration and delegated the Mandate for Palestine that recognized the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine to Great Britain in 1922. This mandate essentially put the Balfour Declaration into effect.

I have much pleasure in conveying to you. on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet... -Arthur Balfour (1917)

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Other Considerations about the Balfour Declaration

At the time, Palestine was nothing more

than a barren desert. The relatively few inhabitants were, in fact, Syrians living in mud homes scattered throughout the land (SOURCE) - wiki uninhabited

For the most part, this land was

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 Gave legitimate ground to the Zionist

movement(s) of a Jewish state

Balfour Declaration Impact

Laid the foundation for the Zionist dream Jews - primarily from Eastern Europe ocked to their new homeland between 1919 and 1923, resulting in a population increase of roughly 40,000

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Zionist Response to the Balfour Declaration

Jews celebrated Creation of Political Zionism Zionism became an increasingly popular
movement Palestine

Masses of Jews began to immigrate to

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Initial Arab Response to the Balfour Declaration

Arabs began to riot in protest of Jews
establishing settlements around Jerusalem

Riots were often violent, esp. in and Denunciation of the Balfour Declaration
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Riots would ensue for years to come

The British Mandate Period (1922-1948)

The British Mandate Period began in 1922 when the League of Nations essentially recognized and adopted the Balfour Declaration as they entrusted Great Britain to facilitate the establishment of a national Jewish homeland. It was resolved that Palestine would be restricted to the west of the Jordan River (the Transjordan area would be to the east). Jews were restricted from purchasing land east of the Jordan River, in the Golan Heights (which was given to Syria as part of the French Mandate), and in the Negev. The British would remain in the land for this time as the primary authoritative body.

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British Mandate Period

Jewish immigration to Palestine increased signicantly in 1933, when Hitler rose to power. The Arab Revolt, or Great Uprising, took place from 1936-39 in response to the inux of Jewish immigration and in resistance in British authority. Worsening economic conditions also had a hand in the matter.

Involved the sabotage of British forces, disobedience, assassinations, and murder of Jewish civilians Marked the beginning of greater Arab involvement in the issue Led to the UN partition plan and eventually Israels Declaration of Independence.

The British White Papers of 1939 were designed to appease Arab opposition to a rapidly increasing Jewish population in Palestine. The White Papers severely limited Jewish immigration to the land in the wake of the Holocaust. Zionist response to the White Papers included organizing substantial illegal immigration operations, such as the Exodus. Ultimately, the White Papers stated that the creation of the Jewish state was no longer a part of the British policy.

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The United Nations Partition Plan

British attempts to partition Palestine through the Peel Commission (1937) ultimately failed as the Arabs refused to accept the creation of a Jewish state. As the Arabs continued to refuse the notion of a partition plan, the British were forced to turn the issue over to the United Nations. In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly voted on and adopted a resolution to the Middle East problem that would create both an independent Jewish state and an independent Arab state out of Palestine. In this plan, Jerusalem would remain under international control The boundaries of the plan were primarily based on demographics Approximately 60% of the land allotted to the Jewish state was barren desert land The British later agreed to implement the plan

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Jewish Reaction to the UN Partition Plan

Jews around the world were ecstatic and celebrated the partition plan, though were dissatised with the emigration limits. Revolutionist Zionists rejected the plan, fearing that it would endanger the existing Jewish population with the possibility of an Arab attack.

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Arab Reaction to the UN Partition Plan

The Arabs rejected and refused to accept
the plan, for they believed that all of Palestine belonged to the Arabs. Jews into the sea.

Arab leadership threatened to drive the

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Israels Declaration of Independence

On May 14, 1948 - the day before the British Mandate ended - Israel declared its independence The ceremony was held in Tel Aviv, in what today is known as Independence Hall Within minutes after Israel declared its independence various countries from around the world recognized its independence. The Arab nations refused to accept Israels right to exist

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Declaration of Independence Aftermath

Following Israels Declaration of Independence, the surrounding Arab nations launched an attack that began the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Israeli forces such as the Haganah - the precursor to the IDF - were strikingly outnumbered. They were forced to ght an uphill battle in a war that lasted three phases. Miraculously, the Israeli forces won.

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Six Day War (1967) Precursors

Hostilities had been brewing between Arabs and Israelis since Israels Declaration of Independence.

In 1956, Egypt began to blockade shipping to Israel

The Arabs were unwilling to negotiate with Israel. Nasser, the Egyptian President said, The danger of Israel lies in the very existence of Israel as it is in the present and what she represents. Increasing instances of terrorist attacks against Israel by the surrounding Arab nations (esp. Syria) escalated the situation. Arab leaders thought that an Israeli invasion of Syria was imminent, so they began fortifying their forces, under the inuence of false Soviet intelligence. Israel gathered intel suggesting that the Arab nations were going to strike in May 1967, with the withdrawal of the United Nations Emergency Force.

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Egyptian forces moved to the Sinai Peninsula

The Six Day War

Israel was tasked with defending itself from Egyptian, Syrian, and Jordanian fronts. On June 4, 1964 Israel launched the Six Day War with a tactical preemptive air strike on the Egyptian Air Force and Army, severely crippling Egypts air power. Going on false the information that the Egyptian forces succeeded in their battle with Israel, Jordanian forces launched their attacks from the east. After ghting four three days, Israeli forces defeated the Jordanians and in effect secured control of Jerusalem and the West Bank. On the fth day of the war, Israel was able to push Syrian forces back from the Golan Heights, neutralizing the Syrian threat and effectively ending the active phase of the war.

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Immediate Aftermath of the Six Day War

At the Khartoum Summit, Arab nations continued to reject Israels right to exist and therefore rejected any sort of peace agreement.

We shall never surrender and never accept peace that means surrender. -Nasser Pledged to continue the ght against Israel No negotiations, no peace, no recognition

The UN Security Council drafted Resolution 242 which stated that Israel should withdraw from the occupied territories

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Long Term Aftermath of Six Day War

Israel amassed signicant portions of land, growing nearly three-fold, as a result of the war Increased tensions that still last today between Israel and the Arab nations.

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led to growing unrest in the amassed territories violent uprisings

Peace with Egypt was made after giving back the Sinai Peninsula. Jews around the world we able to hold their heads high.

My wish is to travel to Israel with Hasbara Fellowships so that I may learn more about Israel in its entirety and translate my learnings into Israel activism on and off the Tufts University campus. I hope to convey to others why and how I understand Israels existence to be as important as it is. Israel is a nation that desires peace in the face of a cancerous hatred. Its moral superiority shall not be belittled.
We are a nation that loves the peace. We will never stop growing and developing but we know how to protect ourselves using force.
-Moshe Yaalon, former Chief of Staff of the IDF

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Thank you for your consideration!

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