Examining Jewish Resistance and the Creation of Israel in 1948
TITLE
Assess the extent to which Jewish resistance to the British mandate contributed to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
ESSAY
Jewish resistance to the British Mandate played a significant role in the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. The period of British control in Palestine was marked by tensions between the Jewish population and the British authorities, stemming from various factors such as restrictions on Jewish immigration, conflicting promises made to both Jewish and Arab communities, and the perception of British favoritism towards the Arab population.
The Balfour Declaration of 1917, which expressed support for a Jewish national home in Palestine, set the stage for Jewish aspirations for statehood. However, over time, the British government imposed restrictions on Jewish immigration into Palestine, particularly during World War II when Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution were denied entry. This policy fueled resentment and resistance among the Jewish population, leading to the emergence of militant groups such as Irgun Zvai Leumi and Lohamey Heruth Israel (LHI).
These groups engaged in violent acts against British forces and institutions, such as bombings and assassinations, in an effort to challenge British authority and pressure them to allow increased Jewish immigration. The King David Hotel bombing in 1946, carried out by the Irgun, resulted in a significant loss of life and highlighted the escalating conflict between the Jewish insurgents and the British Mandate authorities.
The British government's inability to effectively control the situation and the mounting pressure from Jewish resistance ultimately contributed to their decision to withdraw from Palestine in 1948. The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) recommended the partition of Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states, with international status for Jerusalem. The UN General Assembly approved the partition plan, leading to the declaration of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948.
While Jewish resistance certainly played a role in shaping the events that culminated in the creation of Israel, it is important to acknowledge the broader geopolitical context in which these events unfolded. The role of external factors such as the United States' support for Israel, the influence of the UN, and the strategic calculations of the British government also had a significant impact on the ultimate outcome.
In conclusion, Jewish resistance to the British Mandate played a crucial role in pushing for the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. The defiance and determination of Jewish paramilitary groups, combined with international pressures and shifting political dynamics, ultimately paved the way for the realization of Jewish statehood in Palestine.
SUBJECT
HISTORY
PAPER
A LEVEL
NOTES
Assess the extent to which Jewish resistance to the British mandate contributed to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
Indicative content:
Palestine had been under the control of the British since 1917 and became a mandate of the League of Nations in 1923. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 had stated that the British government viewed with favour the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people but did not want to prejudice the rights of existing non-Jewish communities.
During the Second World War, the British restricted the entry into Palestine of European Jews escaping Nazi persecution. This provoked armed Jewish resistance against the British. The main terrorist groups were Irgun Zvai Leumi and a more militant organisation, Lohamey Heruth Israel (LHI). At the end of the war, 250,000 Jewish refugees were stranded in displaced persons camps in Europe but the British refused to lift the ban on immigration and admit 100,000 Jews to Palestine despite pressure from President Truman.
The Haganah now united with the Irgun and carried out raids against the British. In late 1945, in response to full-scale riots in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and bomb attacks on the railway system, British troops had to be deployed in support of the civil police. On June 28, 1946, 17,000 British troops carried out Operation Agatha in Jerusalem. The Jewish Agency offices and other buildings were raided, and arms caches discovered. The bombing of the British Officers club in Haifa resulted in 30 people killed and injured.
On July 22, 1946, Irgun fighters also blew up a wing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, killing over 90 people, including many civilians. This attack broke the fragile Haganah-Irgun partnership. In September 1946, the British called a conference of Jewish and Arab leaders in London; it ended in deadlock. In February 1947, the Government announced it had decided to refer the problem to the UN. Jewish resistance had resulted in Britain abandoning the mandate but there was still no Jewish state.
The British government announced it would withdraw from Palestine on May 18, 1948. An 11-member Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) recommended that Palestine be partitioned into an Arab State and a Jewish State, with a special international status for the city of Jerusalem under the administrative authority of the UN. It seemed as if the Jews would now have their own state. The Arab State was to be granted 43% of Palestine’s territory and the Jewish State was to be created in the remaining 56%.
Although the Arabs rejected the plan, arguing that it violated the principles of self-determination in the UN Charter, the resolution was passed by a two-thirds majority by the UN Assembly. Britain not only objected to the UN partition resolution, it also refused to help implement it or even to permit UN observers to prepare the ground for the partition. This British refusal was largely motivated by self-interest; the British wanted to avoid damaging their relations with the Arab states that had rejected the partition.
The Arab states and the Arab League had, in early 1947, already started military preparations to prevent the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine. In late 1947, a pan-Arab ‘Liberation Army’, comprising volunteers from several Arab nations, invaded Palestine to reverse the partition resolution. A civil war broke out in Palestine, which turned into an Arab-Israeli war on May 14, 1948, when the creation of the state of Israel was proclaimed and several Arab armies invaded Palestine.
Eventually, Israel defeated the Arab 30 armies and the Palestinian militias and occupied more land than had been allocated to it by the 1947 UN resolution. Accordingly, a balanced response might consider factors such as the role of the British, Americans, and the UN as alternatives to the stated factor.