The Birth of Israel

WWII ended and Jews demanded an immediate creation of a Jewish state but Arabs were furious and revolted (1930)

1945- British allowed 1500 Jews into Palestine a month to keep Arabs happy , but Zionists were angered by this and groups (Hagnah, Irgun and Lehi) led a campaign of violence to stop it.

British agreed to create a homeland for Jews in Palestine, but also were required to protect the rights of Palestinian Arabs

• BOMBING OF THE KING DAVID HOTEL- Irgun disguised as Arabs carried bombs into hotel and killed 91 people. Made the mandate expensive to run and turned the British against it.
• THE ** EXODUS- Haganah smuggled Jews into Palestine by boats but not many reached as British turned them away. Damaged British reputation and increased sympathy for Jews.
• US SUPPORT- $46 million to Zionists and asked British to let remaining Jews in. As the UK needed US aid they handed issue to the UN (1947 feb)
• UNSCOP- united nations special committee on Palestine- 1947 may, visited middle east and created partition plan 
• UN RESOLUTION 181-  1947 nov and Britain ended the mandate may 1948
• PLAN D (1948)
  • offensive- Haganah take control of all territory containing Jewish settlements that were proposed to Arabs
  • defensive- Haganah take control of all Arab towns inside or near Jewish territory
• DEIR YA**IN- Arab village that agreed not to fight with Jewish neighbours- (1948 April) 100 Irgun and Lehi massacred over 100 inhabitants arguing Arab fighters used village as a base

• PHASE 1 (May-June 48)  Israel had a weak force (1/3 had weapons). The UN called for 1 month peace which gave Israel time to structure military
• PHASE 2 (July 48) 2 days before end of truce Israeli occupied Arab village, Lydda. The UN created a 6 month peace truce.
• PHASE 3 (Oct 48- July 49) Israel broke truce by Negev desert, Egypt and Gailee, Lebanon. War ended as armistice agreements signed by all but Iraq

• ISRAELI VICTORY:
  • Arab states over confident and didn't commit whole army only 25,000 of 41 million
  • Israel had more troops with better experience, many were soldiers (for Britain) in WWII
  • Israel had 1 aim but different Arab countries had different aims

PALESTINE- 1948 known as Al-Nabka, the catastrophe. 700,000 made refugees and much land lost to Israel, Egypt and Jordan 

ISRAEL- 1948 known as the year of liberation and 48-49 war was known as the war of independance. 6000 israelis died but the country survived and grew gaining more fertile land (50% of Arab partition land)

• IDF
  • David Ben-Gurion trasformed Haganah (and later Irgun and Lehi) 
  • 1949 every non-Arab 18 male had to serve for 30 months/ female 18 months
  • 1952- 23% of budget was defence by 1956 it was 35%
• Mossad- Israeli secret service (est. 1949)

Passed by Knesset (Israeli parliament), any Jew had the right to return to Israel to become a citizen This increased immigration and 'tent cities' created as temporary shelter. Led to Israel becoming divided 'old' Jews dominated jobs which led to riots, e.g. Halifa 1959. To remove 'new' and 'old' labels all students taught in Hebrew and all 'new' Jews assimilated by IDF.

• US AID TO ISRAEL- food aid to new Jewish immigrants, refused to sell fire arms until 1960.
• GERMAN AID TO ISRAEL- most aid from West Germany, compensation property stolen by Nazis ($845 million)
• ISRAELS RELATIONS WITH EGYPT- Arab league boycotted all trade with Israel and Egypt searched all ships using canal , Egypt controlled gaza but did nothing to stop Fedayeen raids on Israel

NASSER AND EGYPT'S LEADERSHIP OF ARABS- due to Israeli defeat King Farouk was replaced by a group of army officers incluiding Nasser (1954). Nasser wanted to...

• 1) Free Egypt from Britain- Britain withdrawed from the Suez canal, by standing up to British Nasser showed he was a strong leader
• 2) Improve the lives of Egyptians- Many lived in poverty but some rich owned the most arable land- Nasser redistributed the land to peasants and to build schools and hospitals
• 3) make Arabs believe in their united strength- Nasser braodcasted on Cairo radio that he wanted all Arab states to be independant and neutral in the cold war and became the champion of Arab nationalism 

ISRAELI ATTACKS ON GAZA

• 1955 FEB- IDF launched a raid killing 38 Egyptians saying it was the reprisal for killing an Israeli cyclist. Egyptians demanded revenge, Palestinians rioted in Gaza and Nasser had a secret firearms deal with Czechoslovakia.
• AUG 1955- Fedayeen killed 11 Israelis and IDF 72 Egyptians- In response Nasser imposed a blockade on all trade through the Straits of Tiran but before the firearms arrived (nov) Israel killed 50 soldiers

THE SEVRES AGREEMENT (1956 oct)- Ben-Gurion and Dayan (IDF head) flew to France and met French and British ministers- Israel would attack Egypt, Britain and France would invade Egypt pretending to keep peace- if succeeded Israel's security to trade would be assured and Britain and France would regain control of the Suez canal, but all 3 wanted to remove Nasser

THE SUEZ CRISIS (oct-nov 1956)- Israel occupied Gaza and had troops in the canal- Britain ordered Israel and Egypt to stop fighting but Nasser refused and Britain bombed Cairo- Israel had Sharm el Sheikh and ended the Egyptian blockade- UN called for ceasefire in November

• ISRAEL- gained no land but gor the ability to trade and Egypt's military strength was reduced
• BRITAIN AND FRANCE- failed to remove Nasser or control of the Suez canal and seen as allies to Israel which caused deep political divisions in F and B
• USSR AND USA- Egypt was USSR ally and USA was the most powerful Western power
• EGYPT- Nasser had control of the Suez canal- USSR payed for the Aswan high dam and Nasser could improve lives of Egyptians. Nasser seized Jewish buisnesses and banned Jews from working as teachers/lawyers/doctors
• UAR- Syria and Egypt were join into a United Arab state with Nasser as president but S withdrew (1961) as it disliked having less power.