British withdrawal and the creation of Israel Flashcards
timeline of key events from 1945-48 of the end to the British Mandate in Palestine (no details necessary)
1945-
[] Ernest Bevin (British foreign secretary) puts limit of 1500/month on Jewish immigration to Palestine
October 1945-
[] Jewish Insurgency begins + the Jewish Agency begins stronger efforts to smuggle Jewish immigrants into Palestine.
April 1946-
[] British refuse 100 000 Jewish immigrants into Palestine.
22 July 1946
[] bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem
February 1947
[] British ask the UN to find a solution to Palestinian conflict.
July 1947-
[] SS Exodus is turned back from Palestine by the British.
July 1947
[] Sergeants’ Affair.
November 1947-
[] UN vote in favour of Resolution 181 (the Partition Plan)
December 1947-
[] start of the Arab-Jew civil war; lasts until early 1948.
14 May 1948-
[] Israel declares itself as a new state
15 May 1948-
[] last British soldier leaves Palestine and the 48-49 war breaks out
Explain the significance of why Ernest Bevin limited Jewish immigration to 1500/month in 1945
-knew that a flood of Jewish immigrants straight after WW2 would cause massive Arab-Jew tensions in Palestine.
-Britain needed oil from the Middle Eastern Arab states neighbouring Palestine so needed to be on good terms with them.
[] these countries didn’t approve of Jewish mass-immigration into Palestine for the purpose of establishing a Jewish homeland, so limiting immigration would please them.
NOTE: Bevin’s policy caused uproar amongst prospective Jewish immigrants to Palestine, as well as Zionists, could view as Bevin going against Mandate’s agreement to support creation of a Jewish homeland, some feared the British would stop immigration altogether
[] led to rising tension in Palestine and to the Jewish Insurgency
Describe the key events, features and significance of the Jewish Insurgency, 1945-47
-many Palestinian Jews abandoned truce that they held with British troops during the second world war
[] demonstrates seriousness of Jewish anger at the time as well as seriousness of limiting immigration to Jews.
Irgun, Haganah + Lehi worked against the British
[] blew up the railway system in 153 places, as well as radio stations and telephone lines in order to hamper British communications
[] targeted British offices, police stations, oil pipes, banks etc.
[] these attacks affected lot’s of Arab and Jewish Palestinians in addition to the British
fierce retaliation to any British violence
[] Menachem Begin (Irgun) kidnapped and beat 4 British soldiers with 18 strokes of the cane each
[] response was to kidnapping and beating of two Irgun terrorists with 18 strokes of the cane in total
[] Begin’s petty attention to detail demonstrates the fiercely protective nature of Jewish Zionist leaders towards other Jewish people,
Describe the key events of the bombing of the King David Hotel, 22 July 1946
-Irgun disguised as Arabs drove into King David Hotel’s basement
[] demonstrates planning; knew that basement was the least well guarded, as well as the significance of blowing up the British Army’s main HQ - direct statement against British involvement in Palestinian politics etc.
-left milk churns full of explosives next to the supporting columns in the basement
explosion took out almost whole southern wing
[] killed 41 Arabs, 17 Jews and 28 Brits, most civilians
-Begin said 3 warnings were telephoned through to the British before the explosives went off
[] if Begin was lying , demonstrates early chaos-causing tactics of the Jewish Zionists in Palestine shows they wanted to injure or kill British who worked there, regardless of any collateral damage
Describe the significance public reaction to the bombing of the King David Hotel in July 1946
Describe the key events and significance of the turning back of the SS Exodus in July 1947
Describe US support for Zionism and its significance for the birth of the state of Israel
Explain why the British asked the UN to find a solution to the conflict in Palestine and gave up the Mandate subsequently in February of 1947
Describe the key features and significance of the Sergeant’s Affair July 1947
Give a timeline detailing the UN’s involvement in Palestine in 1947
Describe and date the key events of the December 1947 - May 1948 civil war
Why did the Arab-Jewish civil war from 1947-48 take place ?
When did David Ben-Gurion proclaim the foundation of the state of Israel ?
Describe the acceptance of Israel as its own state by various different nations
When did the Arab-Israeli war begin and why ?
Which Arab nations took part in the Arab-Israeli war ?
Describe Phase 1 of the Arab-Israeli war 1948-49
Describe Phase 2 of the Arab-Israeli war 1948-49
Describe Phase 3 of the Arab-Israeli war 1948-49
Describe the key reasons why Israel won the 1948-49 war
