The Formation and Subsequent Ordeals of Israel Flashcards
(40 cards)
Where is the Persian Gulf Located?
Between Saudi Arabia and what is now Iran. Southeast of Iraq.
What were common similarities between the countries from northern Africa to the Persian Gulf in 1917 and prior?
They shared the same religion, Islam, and the same language, Arabic.
What was the land of Israel recognised as between the time of the Romans and prior to 1948?
Palestine.
Who was the man who promised Jews a ‘national home’ in Palestine in exchange for their assistance during the war?
Arthur Balfour (the Balfour Declaration)
What were the countries of the Middle-East area part of at the time?
The Turkish Empire, the ones who the British were warring with in WW1.
What did the British promise to the Arabs if they aided them in the war?
Independence over their land.
What happened to Palestine after the British drove the Turks out?
It was made mandate under British rule, so the Brits owned and operated the land.
What percentage of the population of Palestine was Jewish in 1922?
11%
How much did the percentage of the population of Palestine being Jews grow to by 1936 because of Nazi persecution?
30%
How did the Palestinian Arabs respond to the Jews buying up villages and towns?
With riots, strikes, and attacks on the Jewish population. The Palestinian Arabs felt as if they were being squeezed out of their own land.
Why did the British impose a limit on Jewish immigration into Palestine? What was the limit set to?
Because war with the Axis powers seemed likely, and the Brits would need Arab support, so they wanted to get on their good side. It was intended that the percentage of the population being Jews could never exceed 30%.
How did the limit of Jewish immigration get breached and why?
Thousands of Jews who had suffered the holocaust decided to settle in ‘The Promised Land’, and they had the support of the USA, the USA Jews supporting them with money and the United States government demanding that the British let them in to Palestine.
What does Guerrillas mean?
An independent group that partakes in irregular warfare typically against larger regular forces.
Why did the British choose to withdraw its troops from Palestine in 1947 and hand over to the United Nations?
They were exhausted by the war and could not afford a tussle to keep the Jews out of Israel, especially not when backed by the US.
What was the UN’s solution to the conflict of interest over Palestine? Was it accepted?
It was called the UN General Assembly Resolution 181, and the plan was to divide up the state between the Arabs and the Jews. The Jews accepted, the Arabs did not.
When did the Jews announce that they would be setting up the nation of Israel?
May 1948.
How did the Israelites manage to fight the Arabs and come out better off when they were far outnumbered?
The Israelis were united, well-lead, and determined, and the Arabs were disjointed and badly organised.
What was significant about the cease fire declared in 1948?
The Israelis had claimed more land than they initially were allocated. Large amounts of Palestinians were driven out into refugee camps on the border.
What happened in Israel after 1949?
Roughly 1 million new Jewish immigrants settled in the land, and they went about building a modern nation.
What were the four significant law movements made by Israel in order to advance their nation?
(R, R, P-A, P-I)
The Law of (Jewish) Return, allowing Jews from anywhere to return to the homeland of Israel.
The blocking of the (Arab) right of return, which stopped the Arabs that were driven out from returning.
The Property Absentee Law, which meant the Jewish state could claim all land and housing that was abandoned by Palestinian refugees.
The Prevention of Infiltration Law, which allowed the state to recognise any Palestinian crossing the border as a terrorist that they could ‘deal to’.
Why was the US torn around Israel?
Some were of the view that the US should fully back Israel as the only reliable source in the Middle-East, others thought it would damage relations with the Arabs, allowing the Soviets to get a hold in. Both outcomes happened.
What is the PLO?
The Palestinian Liberation Organisation, a group (who the Israelis recognised as terrorists) whose goal it was to end Israel and return Palestinian Arabs to their homeland.
What are key ideals in Arab Nationalism?
Self-Determination, Democracy, and Socialism (right to rule their own affairs).
What highly valuable resource was an important issue to be concerned with when making war decisions?
Oil, supplied by the Middle East.
