Introduction Flashcards
Define the 1948 War.
The 1948 Arab-Israeli War marked the climactic juncture of escalating tensions between Jews and Arabs pertaining to the formation of a nascent Jewish state.
What caused the war?
The war was primarily caused by the conflicting nationalist aspirations of the two ethnoreligious groups, exacerbated by the United Nations 1947 Partition Plan, which proposed the division of Palestine into distinct Jewish and Arab states. Israel’s declaration of Independence on May 14th, 1948, actualised this plan, precipitating a military intervention by neighbouring Arab states the next day, aimed at thwarting the establishment of Israel and bolstering the Palestinian Arab cause.
What was the result of the war?
Israel’s decisive victory and subsequent territorial expansion resulted in the displacement of approximately 700,000 Palestinians, who refer to the war as the ‘Nakba,’ an Arabic term meaning ‘catastrophe.’
What are the differing perspectives?
The 1948 War remains a complex and contentious issue, with Israelis and Arabs each disengaging responsibility for Palestinian diaspora and the refugee crisis.
Hypothesis:
However, the Palestinian perspective is slightly more valid in that Israel fueled the displacement and dispossession of Arabs to a more substantial extent.
Outline key points:
- Texts that serve as evidence of a premediated plan to expel Palestinians.
- Israel military forces systemically destroying Palestinian villages and cities.
- Psychological warfare.
How is the Israeli perspective also valid?
Israel’s perspective is marginally valid (has some validity).
1. Asserts that the displacement was merely a strategic necessity to ensure the survival and viability of a Jewish homeland.
2. A byproduct of war.
3. Predominantly initiated by Arab leaders.
Body paragraph topic sentence 1:
A common Palestinian perspective is that their displacement during the 1948 ‘Nakba’ was a premediated plan to an ethnically homogeneous Jewish state. This view holds that the expulsions were part of a deliberate and coordinated effort to alter the demographic and territorial landscape in favour of complete Jewish control.
Body paragraph topic sentence 2:
Another dominant Palestinian perspective pertaining to the 1948 war is that their displacement was largely the result of Israeli military aggression and cognitive warfare. Palestinians contend that Israeli forces systematically destroyed Palestinian villages and homes to prevent return, and manipulated propaganda to coerce them into fleeing.
