background Flashcards
What was the Jewish claim to Palestine (the Holy Land) and why was it significant ?
-Jews faced antisemitism through history, increasing and reaching crisis level during WW2
[] Jews felt unsafe without a land of their own and somewhere where the people would gladly accept them into community
[] led to a rise in Zionism
-religious significance of Jerusalem, the Wailing Wall (where King Solomon’s temple once stood) and Temple in Jerusalem, which held the Ark of the Covenant (contained decalogue given to Moses by God)
[] made Jerusalem sacred, and made exile from Jerusalem a huge deal; international sympathy thus given, ESPECIALLY after periods of religious persecution such as WW2
-in the Jewish holy books, Jewish people are promised the holy land/Israel/the nation of Zion (where Zionism comes from)
What was the religious significance of Palestine and Jerusalem for Muslims and Christians ?
-Muslims:
[] third holiest city in Islam
[] Mohammed visited Jerusalem and ascended into heaven for one night
-Christians:
[] Jesus celebrated Last Supper, was crucified and rose from the dead in Jerusalem
[] much mention of Palestine as the holy land and where Jesus’ teachings had much significance; HOWEVER largely because Jesus was Jewish and helped the Jewish claim slightly more because of this
What was the Balfour Declaration and date and significance for rising tensions between Palestinian Arabs and the Jews ?
1917-
Britain’s agreement to support Zionist desires for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine WITHOUT CONSULTING PALESTINIANS
[] outrage amongst Palestinians that their land was being used without their permission to house another group of people
[] anger at British for simply swapping Ottoman control with British control; wanted independence and the moving-in of Jews without their permission diminished national power and authority if eventually given independence
What were the terms of the British Mandate in Palestine and their significance ?
-Britain protects rights of Palestinian Arabs already living in Palestine
[] DIDN’T largely; led to significant rise in tension between Palestinians and the British troops in Palestine due to the disobeying of the Mandate’s terms.
[] conflict was expensive, especially for a post-war Britain later on (though Jewish conflict had more effect at the time)
[] anger about lack of consultation from Palestinians
[] Jewish immigration encouraged and enabled via the Jewish Agency, helped new immigrants to buy land and organise schools; use of Palestinian land without their consent caused a lot of tension
[] population of Jewish immigrants grew, Palestinian Arab-Jew tensions grew and spiralled into riots or violent clashes
When did the British Mandate begin and end ?
-began: 1923
-ended: 15 May 1948
Describe the role of the League of Nations (forerunner to the UN) for creating a basis of distrust later between Palestinians and the UN
-League of Nations gave the British Mandate in 1923 without consulting Palestinians.
[] much call for independence in Palestine at the time, so Mandate went directly against their desires
[] divvying up Palestinian-owned lands without agreement or consultation took authority away from the people, and weakened the Palestinian claim to their OWN LAND in later years
who were the Irgun
-led by Menachem Begin
[] future Israeli Prime Minister
Jewish terrorist organisation that vowed to form a Jewish state by force if necessary.
[] demonstrated the early formation of violent Zionist attitudes- HOWEVER also demonstrated Jewish desperation for safety and a homeland whilst antisemitism rose in the 1930s
who were the Lehi
extremist Jewish group formed from the Irgun (fought British Mandate even during the agreed truce for WW2)
Who were the Haganah ?
led by David Ben-Gurion
[] first Israeli Prime Minister
early defence force of Palestinian Jews and newer Jewish settlements in Palestine
What were the key features and the significance of the 1936-39 Arab uprising ?
-took 20 000 British troops with the addition of the Haganah to crush the uprising.
[] strength of Brits + Jews needed to crush the
uprising as well as the 3 year period denotes the ultimate strength and indignance of the Palestinian Arabs at the events in their own country
[] makes it clear that Palestinian Arabs were opposed to lack of control they had over their own territory due to British support of Zionism and British Mandate
[] others may argue that Palestinians had a right to be angry the use of their own land without permission; they weren’t anti-Jewish, simply against the lack of control they were given, as well as the militant ideas of some Zionists to create an Israeli nation by force
Describe the significance of the Holocaust for the creation of the state of Israel
international sympathy for the Jewish
[] British likely felt shame for denying Jewish immigration during periods of rising antisemitism in Germany and the surrounding nations just prior to the Holocaust and wanted to make it up to the Jewish on the political stage by endorsing a Jewish homeland for their safety
gave Jews something to easily create an Israeli national identity from
[] Holocaust memorial became a huge part of national identity later, with many lessons, many prayers, events etc. centred around it to remind Jews of the need to create a homeland for themselves in the Promised Land
