At a time when the Middle East becomes a powder keg and where an Iranian leader dream of destroying Israel by nuclear fire, it is interesting to look at the birth of this country.
The birth of Israel goes back to 1917, the so-called Balfour Declaration. Go back a little time. The collapse of the Empire Ottoman gave England a foothold in the Middle East. She now manages Palestine. On November 2, 1917 the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Arthur J. Balfour wrote to Lord Lionel Rothschild said: "His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people and will make every effort to facilitate these objectives is, of course, that nothing will not prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine or the rights and political situation enjoyed by Jews in other countries. " But this statement will be very badly received (already!) by Arab bloodshed and unrest in the region regularly. And Jewish settlements are regularly attacked and the Palestinians (the generic name given to Muslims living in the region) also face a violent manner with the British authorities who quickly forget their promises of independence. In 1936, a national conference brings together more than 150 Palestinian delegates. Their claims relate to the cessation of Jewish immigration but also on access to independence.
In 1937, the royal commission calls for sharing Palestine into a Jewish state that would include 33% of the territory and an Arab state. But the Palestinians rejected the plan. In 139, a new conference will lead to a similar failure. Each time, the Arab side refused any share.
The rise of Nazism will strengthen the National Home, but, curiously, Great Britain will then significantly reduce Jewish immigration after 1940 and limit the right of Jews to acquire land.
During the war, the Jewish resistance to the English will become important and will culminate in 1946 with the attack against the British Staff housed in the King David Hotel bombing very bloody and shows that indiscriminate violence does not belong to any camp. Churchill will therefore appeal to the UN.
Meanwhile, The 2nd World War ended, two years ago. The world discovered the horrors of Nazi concentration camp system. The 6 million Jews exterminated haunt the conscience of Europe. The all-new United Nations must take the problem head on.
Work began May 26, 1947. On 31 August a report of 54 volumes was introduced to the General Assembly. He says roughly the following things:
Jews base their rights return on the historical ties of Jews with the Holy Land (that had already been confirmed by the Balfour Declaration). They also believe that the development of the country already settled by Jews in Palestine gives them a right. Finally, the creation of a state would solve the problem of 250,000 European Jewish survivors of death camps.
the Arab side, it argues inalienable character of the Muslim conquest of 637. They believe that the British mandate of 1920 was illegal. Finally, they lean on the creation of an independent Palestine that would take account of the Jewish minority. On 29
novembre1947, Resolution 181 is then passed:
It is to be granted to Jews 56% of the territory between the Jordan and the Mediterranean. It also created a Palestinian state. Jerusalem becomes an international zone under UN control. There were 33 votes for, 13 against and 10 abstentions.
But this resolution will not be seamless. The episode of the Exodus boat full of refugees, Jews deported from Palestine by the British is a good example.
May 14, 1948 the State of Israel was proclaimed in the borders defined by the UN. In Tel Aviv, David Ben Gurion reads the declaration of independence the new state. The next day the British left the country, leaving Israel in control of their military base. Transjordan, where the Palestinians will live, remains under the command of British General Glubb Pasha, who is head of the Arab Legion of Transjordan.
But the new state quickly arouses the hatred of his coalition voisins.Une Arabic (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Jordan) attack Israel. Arab Legion of Transjordan, supported by contingents from Saudi Arabia mingle with the attack.
Not a chance, the young democracy succeed to repel the attack and even conquer the territories west of the Jordan.
January 7, 1949, English and Americans impose a cease-fire. On February 24, 1949, Egypt and Israel signed an armistice agreement Rhodes.
This war will leave its mark. 800,000 Palestinian Arabs are leaving their land while 600,000 Jews to flee Arab countries. But these refugees will become full-fledged Israeli citizens while the Arabs will keep their status as refugees. Note that the Arab League itself asked them to leave Israel, believing that once the enemy turned back at sea, they could return to live on their land. This failure is called Nakba, the catastrophe.
We can see that from its inception, Israel has been under attack from its enemies.
I would return later to the wars of 67, 73, conflict between Israel and Lebanon and finally the intifada.
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