Chapter 2: The creation of Israel, the war of 1948-49 and the Suez Crisis Flashcards
What was the UN Partition Plan?
In 1947, the UN sent a committee to investigate the possible solutions to the problem of Palestine and recommended the partition of Palestine into 2 separate Jewish and Arab states
What was the reaction to the UN partition plan?
Arabs rejected the plan as they believed Palestinians were being made to pay for the holocaust as it had to give over half their land to the Jewish state. Most Jews were happy but were frustrated Jerusalem wasn’t their capital
What caused the war of 1948-49?
Palestinian attacks with Jewish forces fighting to hold onto their land and the Haganah introducing Plan Daley which meant taking control of Arab towns and villages inside or close to Jewish territory
What happened in May 1948?
David Ben-Guiron announced the foundation of Israel, the USSR and USA recognised it where Arab states immediately denounced it which was the final straw before war broke out
What happened in the first 3 weeks of the War?
The Arab legion occupied the West Bank and captured East Jerusalem. Irgun forces invaded from the North and Egyptian forces from the south
What did Israel do later in the War?
It ignored the UN embargo on weapons and two days before the arranged truce organised by the UN was supposed to end, Israel forces forces went on the offensive and expelled Arabs from Lydda and Ramleh
How did the War end?
Israel broke the second truce of 3 months early again as they captured Galilee from the Lebanese. Egypt, Transjordan and Syria agreed to sign an arms justice the following year
What were the reasons for the Israeli victory?
Israeli forces outnumbered Arab forces, Israeli forces were much more experienced fighters as they served Britain in WWII or the Irgun and Lehi members experience against the British
What were further reasons for Israel victory?
During the first truce organised, Arabs did very little while the Israelis regrouped, increased its forces and bought weapons from the Czech. Israel tactics were also much more effective as attacks were coordinated centrally with leaders while Arabs were un-coordinated with no leader
What were the consequences of the 1948-49 War for Palestinian Arabs?
The areas that the Partition plan had promised them had been lost to Israel, Syria and Jordan, but they views it as them being forced out of it by Israel who used violence and threats to reach their goal. The Israelis viewed it as the Arabs starting the problem by invading Israeli territory in May 1948.
What happened to the vast number of Palestinian Arabs that fled?
They started new lives elsewhere in the Middle East and the vast majority became refugees in neighbouring states as the Arab league told its members to deny citizenship to Palestinian Arabs. Jordan did grant citizenship though
Why did Israel’s population increase so rapidly?
It doubled over three years because of Jewish immigrants (holocaust survivors or others seeking life away from Soviet control in Eastern Europe)
What was the Law of Return?
Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) supported growing immigration of Jews, so passed the Law of Return in July 1950 which stated any Jew had the right to go to Israel and become a citizen
What did Nasser invite all the Arab leaders to?
The Cairo Conference to argue why Israel’s plan to divert the River Jordan was a threat to Arab states and the Headwater Diversion Plan was agreed on which would prevent Israel from channelling fresh water to their settlements
Where Israel concerned with the Headwater Diversion plan?
Yes, and when Syria began constructing a canal to divert the water, Israel carried out air strikes in Syria in 1967
What were Fatah and what did they do on January 1st 1965?
A Palestinian group that rejected Israel’s right to exist led by Yasser Arafat. Fatah fighters laid explosives to destroy the canal in Israel that went to farms in the South West but the bomb was diffused by Israel
Did the Israelis give the plot publicity?
Yes, and suddenly Yasser Arafat was famous and many Palestinians saw him as a hero and this inspired many to join Fatah
What happened in November 1966?
3 Israeli policemen and a further 6 were wounded and Fatah were immediately suspected and King Hussein of Jordan wrote a letter of condolence to the Israeli Prime Minister, Levi Eshkol but it arrived too late.
How did Israel respond?
2 days after Israel sent 600 troops, 11 tanks and 60 military vehicles targeting the small Arab settlement Samu. 15 Jordanian fighters, one Israeli and a villager were killed and Samu was reduced to ruins
How did this affect Eshkol?
He had wrecked the hopes for peace between Israel and Jordan and was strongly criticised overall for sending such a large force
How did this Israeli attack affect King Hussein?
He faced a storm of protest for failing to protect Palestinians and there were riots calling for his removal so he accused Nasser of cowardice for not acting against Israel and hiding behind UN peacekeeping troops in Sinai
Why did Hussein call out Nasser?
He couldn’t afford a war, to defend his relationships with other Arab leaders and to take the spotlight off of him
What happened in April 1967?
Some Syrian gunners fired at an Israeli tractor in a demilitarised zone which was an area in which all military action is forbidden
What did Israel do in retaliation?
They send over aeroplanes to attack the Syrian gunners, but they hit several Syrian villages on the Golan Heights
What were the consequences of the Suez Crisis?
European oil shortages, massacres idolised, IDF grew in confidence, Israel became closer to the U.S, Sinai and Gaza returned to Egypt and the resignation of the Prime Minister
