Final years of British mandate in Palestine 1945-8 Flashcards
What allowed many Jews to gain valuable military experience?
Fighting for the British in WW2
After the war ended in 1945 what did Britain announce?
That there would be no change in their policy in Palestine
What was decided in August 1945?
Zionist conference decided on a policy of active opposition to British rule in Palestine
What did Jewish leaders order Haganah to do after the conference?
Cooperate with Irgun and the Stern Gang and target British military bases, railway, bridges etc
What was the Irgun?
Small secret Zionist organisation which had been formed in 1937 to protect Jewish settlements from attack during the Arab Rebellion of 1936-9
What was the Stern Gang?
Zionist terrorist group founded in 1939
Who did the Zionists decide they needed on their side?
The Americans
What was the Biltmore Declaration?
Name of hotel in which American Zionists conference was held in May 1942 - declared support for a Jewish commonwealth in all of Palestine
What did Truman do in April 1946?
Called on the British government to allow the immediate entry of 100,000 Jewish refugees to Palestine
Name on example of an Irgun attack in 1946
Attack on King David Hotel in Jerusalem - killed 88 people including 15 Jews
In the summer of 1947 what 2 incidents convinced the British they should withdraw from Palestine?
Hanging of 2 British soldiers by Irgun
British prevention of a boat of 4500 refugees from Europe landing in Palestine - gained wide sympathy for Jews
When did Britain officially withdraw from Palestine?
In May 1948 - handed it to UN
What was accepted in November 1947?
UN’s plan to partition Palestine was accepted
According to the UN Partition Plan, how was Palestine to be split up?
Although Jews only made up 1/3 of population they were to be given 55% of overall territory
Holy city of Jerusalem was to be an international zone governed by an international force
What was the Arab response to the 1947 Partition Plan?
Arab Higher Committee rejected the plan because Jews were given more land and many of the Palestinian cities containing large Arab majorities (such as Haifa and Jaffa) were part of Jewish state
What was the Jewish response to the 1947 Partition Plan?
Jewish Agency officially accepted the plan but some not happy
When was there another civil war in Palestine?
November 1947 - May 1948
What did the Arab Higher Committee do after the UN voted for partition?
Proclaimed a 3 day strike which led to outbreaks of violence against Jewish civilians
What happened in December 1947?
Britain announced that it was leaving Palestine in may 1948 and fighting between Arabs and Jews intensified
In 1948 what did soldiers from Syria and Iraq do?
Began to cross into Palestine to help the Arabs
What did the Haganah come up with in March 1948?
Plan D - aims were
Take over any installations evacuated by the British, especially military bases
Expel as many Palestinians as possible from the future Jewish state
By February 1948 what had already happened?
Many of the Palestinian elite (such as landowners and businessmen) had left Palestine
What began in April 1948?
Jewish forces began the forcible expulsion of Arabs from villages
During the expulsion what happened in Haifa?
Explosions were set off by Jewish forces in Arab areas of the city and nearly 100,000 Arabs fled the city
What happened if Arabs refused to leave their homes during the expulsion?
Forced onto lorries and driven away to Transjordan
What happened in Dier Yassin in April 1948?
Dier Yassin was the last village on the western side of Jerusalem whose Arab inhabitants hadn’t fled. On the 9th April, Irgun fighters attacked the village and killed 245 inhabitants
When did Britain finally withdraw from Palestine?
14th May 1948
By the time Britain left and the state of Israel was proclaimed how many Arabs had left the state?
Over 300,000
What do conventional Zionists believe about Jewish military actions?
That from November 1947 they were largely defensive
What is the conventional Zionist argument for Jewish violence?
That Jewish forces were keen to keep open the roads to Jerusalem where about 2500 Jews were living. Many Arab villages surrounded these roads which can explain events such as Dier Yassin
What is the Zionist belief as to why so many Arabs left?
Because they felt they would be able to return with invading Arab armies when the British had left and the state of Israel came into existence
In the 1980’s what was published?
Emergence of revisionist interpretations for the Arab exodus, following the release of Israeli government documents
What did Jewish loudspeakers do?
Broadcast into the Arab quarters news of what happened Dier Yassin
