The Creation of Israel + The Arab Israeli War

Question 1

What is UN Resolution 181?

Answer 1

Proposed plan which recommended partition into Jewish and Arab states.

Question 2

Who by and when was UN Resolution 181 decided upon?

Answer 2

May 1947 the UN set up a Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) to investigate possible solutions to the problem.

Question 3

What was the purpose of UN Resolution 181?

Answer 3

They went to Palestine and spoke to Jewish leaders and the British and toured neighbouring countries.

Question 4

How did the Arabs react to UNSCOP?

Answer 4

The Arabs boycotted UNSCOP saying it was pro-Zionist and had no right to be there.

Question 5

The proposed Arab state would have what percentage of Jews in it?

Answer 5

The proposed Arab state would have just a 1% Jewish population.

Question 6

The proposed Jewish state would have what percentage of Jews in it?

Answer 6

The proposed Jewish state would have a 55% Jewish population.

Question 7

Jerusalem and Bethlehem would belong in which state?

Answer 7

Jerusalem and Bethlehem would be in neither state but an international zone with a 49% Jewish population

Question 8

1. What percentage of the population did Arabs make up?
2. What was their proposed percentage of land?

Answer 8

Arabs made up 67% of the population but their proposed state was 44% of the current Palestinian land

Question 9

How did the USA and USSR react to the proposed partition (UN Resolution 181)? Why?

Answer 9

USA and USSR voted in favour and influenced other countries to do the same – sympathy for Jews due to the Holocaust

Question 10

How did the British Government react to the proposed partition (UN Resolution 181) ? Why?

Answer 10

British government were against the resolution as thought it was unfair to Arabs and would lead to civil war

Question 11

How did the Jewish Agency react to the proposed partition (UN Resolution 181) ? Why?

Answer 11

Jewish Agency officially accepted the resolution – they were pleased they had their own state

Question 12

Why did not all Jews accepted the proposed partition (UN Resolution 181)?

Answer 12

Not all Jews accepted – Extremists thought they were entitled to more, especially Jerusalem.

Question 13

Why were Palestinian Arabs angry at the proposed partition (UN Resolution 181)?

Answer 13

Palestinian Arabs were angry – Arab Higher Committee rejected as UN had no right to take their land away – called for an Arab uprising

Question 14

Arab states voiced objections to the proposed partition (UN Resolution 181)? What did they set up?

Answer 14

Arab states voiced objections – set up Arab Liberation Army (fighters from Syria, Lebanon and Transjordan).

Question 15

What happened on November 1947?

Answer 15

November 1947, the UN voted with 2/3 majority to approve the Partition Plan and lead to the official creation of Israel

Question 16

What would both Jewish and Arab states have?

Answer 16

Both states and the international zone would have the same currency, transport and communication services.

Question 17

In the first 12 days after the UN vote, how many were killed?

Answer 17

In the first 12 days after the UN vote, Arab attacks left 79 Jews dead.

Question 18

As a result of these Arb attacked what did the Haganah do?

Answer 18

Jews led by Haganah fought back leading to civil war.

Question 18

By February 1948, how many Palestinians had left to escape the violence?

Answer 18

By February 1948 about 100,000 Palestinians had left to escape the violence.

Question 18

What happened in March 1948?

Answer 18

In March 1948, Haganah introduced Plan D – this meant taking control of all the Arab towns and villages inside or close to the proposed Jewish territory – if they were resisted they were to be expelled. Some historians have called this an example of ethnic cleansing.

Question 18

What was Plan D?

Answer 18

This meant taking control of all the Arab towns and villages inside or close to the proposed Jewish territory – if they were resisted they were to be expelled. Some historians have called this an example of ethnic cleansing.

Question 19

What did Plan D lead to?

Answer 19

Deir Yassin Massacre.

Question 20

What did the Arab forces do during the beginning of the Deir Yassin Massacre?

Answer 20

Arab forces were stopping supplies from reaching the 100,000 Jews in Jerusalem

Question 21

Where was Deir Yassin Massacre?

Answer 21

Deir Yassin was a quiet Arab village close to Jerusalem – it had signed an agreement not to fight its Jewish neighbours

Question 22

What happened on 9th April 1948?

Answer 22

On 9th April 1948, Irgun fighters massacred 100 of its inhabitants including women and children, as they claimed that it was being used as an Arab base.

Question 23

How many Arabs feel in Jewish territory as a result of the Deir Yassin Massacre?

Answer 23

Arab radio broadcast details of the atrocity – this led to 250,000 Arabs fleeing Jewish territory in panic.

Question 24

When was the state of Israel proclaimed, and by who?

Answer 24

Ben-Gurion proclaimed the state of Israel on 14th May 1948, immediately recognised by USA and USSR.

Question 25

When did the last British troops leave Israel?

Answer 25

The last British troops left on 15th May 1948.

Question 26

What did the Arab states do once the last British troop left?

Answer 26

Arab states denounced it and on the same day troops from Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon and Iraq (supported by Saudi Arabia) invaded Israel

Question 27

What Arab countries invaded Israel?

Answer 27

1. Egypt
2. Syria
3. Transjordan
4. Lebanon
5. Iraq (supported by Saudi Arabia)

Question 28

When did the Arab states invade Israel? How did Israel struggle with this?

Answer 28

Arab states invaded Israel from nearly all directions between May and June 1948. Israel struggled with little artillery and minimal weapons.

Question 29

What areas did Transjordan capture?

Answer 29

Transjordan captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Question 30

What areas did Iraq capture?

Answer 30

Iraq invaded the North.

Question 31

What areas did Egypt capture?

Answer 31

Egypt invaded the South capturing Gaza.

Question 32

What happened on 11th June 1948?

Answer 32

On 11th June 1948 the UN arranged a month’s truce – key to Israel’s survival.

Question 33

What happened during the one months truce (June 1948)?

Answer 33

In this time Israel established a military structure with Ben-Gurion in charge (IDF) and bought weapons for the army and air force from Czechoslovakia.

Question 34

What happened on 8th July 1948 (2 days before the end of the the one months truce)?

Answer 34

2 days before the truce (8th July 1948) was due to end, Ben-Gurion ordered the Israelis to attack .

Question 35

Why did breaking the first months truce help Israel?

Answer 35

They had complete surprise and captured Arab towns near Tel-Aviv such as Ramleh and expelled their Arab populations.

Question 36

As a result of breaking the first months truce, what did the UN do?

Answer 36

The UN then arranged another truce which lasted for 3 months

Question 37

The three month truce was also broken by Israel. What land did they capture?

Answer 37

This truce was also broken by the Israelis, who captured Galilee and then retook the Negev Desert from Egypt, driving the Egpytian forces back into Sinai.

Question 38

When, and why, did the Arab-Israeli end?

Answer 38

The war ended when armistice agreements were signed with all nations (except Iraq). The final ceasefire with Syria began on 20th July 1948.

Question 39

Why did Israel win the Arab-Israeli war?

Answer 39

• The Israelis were more experienced fighters, many Haganah members had served with the British forces in WW2 and Irgun and Lehi had fought against the British
• Arab forces all had separate leaders and failed to co-ordinate their attacks were as Israel had a clear military structure with regional commanders
• The truce was crucial in allowing Israel to regroup and increase both forces and weapons
• The USA used economic pressure to stop Britain supplying Arab states with weapons so they struggled to buy arms
• The Arab states were over confident and so did not commit their entire armies – both sides did increase their armies during the war but Israel’s was still double the number of the Arab forces.

Question 40

How did Israel having more experienced fighters help Israel win the war?

Answer 40

The Israelis were more experienced fighters, many Haganah members had served with the British forces in WW2 and Irgun and Lehi had fought against the British.

Question 41

How did the Arab forces having separate leader help Israel win the war?

Answer 41

Arab forces all had separate leaders and failed to co-ordinate their attacks were as Israel had a clear military structure with regional commanders.

Question 42

Why was the truce crucial in helping Israel win the war?

Answer 42

The truce was crucial in allowing Israel to regroup and increase both forces and weapons.

Question 43

How did the USA help Israel win the war?

Answer 43

The USA used economic pressure to stop Britain supplying Arab states with weapons so they struggled to buy arms.

Question 44

How did the Arab states being over confident help Israel win the war?

Answer 44

The Arab states were overconfident and so did not commit their entire armies – both sides did increase their armies during the war but Israel’s was still double the number of the Arab forces.