Palestinian Mandate and the Creation of Israel
by Giana Garcia
1. Historical persecution of the Jews in Christian Europe & rise of Modern Political Zionism
1.1. Zionism; religious belief that Jews must return to the Holy Land. Offers hope of escaping persecution
1.2. Political Zionism; came to rise in 19th century Europe, inspired by Nationalism,
1.3. Autoemancipation by Leo Pinsker; anti-sem so deep in Eur. society, jews will never be equal. Cannot wait for soc to change, seize their own destiny.
1.4. Theodor Herzl, the Jewish State (1896); turned idea to nat. mvmt. Jews constituted a nation but lacked poli. state to express their national culture. Existence of Jewish nationality and lack of state comb to ostracize jews in the lands they live
2. 1917 Balfour Declaration, Zionist influence during British occupation of Palestine, waves of Jewish immigration and land purchases
2.1. appeal to US, Russian, german jews. Support for settlement meant Britain had to remain in occupation of land, goes against Husayn-McMahon correspondence where Brit. would recog indie Arab states.
2.2. Jewish immigration in waves, aliyahs. in 1931, 174K jews in Palestine, by 1946 599K in Palestine. From 16% to 31% of the total pop.
2.3. Yishuv; name of Jewish commun. in Palestine b4 1948
2.4. 1939; owned 5% of land of mandate 10% of total cultivable land
3. Rise of Hitler in the 30s, the Holocaust during WWII, and European Jewish refugee problem after the war
3.1. realize a settlement cannot atone for horrors seen during Holocaust
3.2. Brit gave weapons to Haganah incase of Axis invasion of Palestine.
3.3. Anti-Nazi Yishuv attitudes; Brit refused refugees and increased distrust of Brit
4. U.S. support for Jewish state b/c of guilt, humanitarian concern, power of Zionist lobby in U.S.
4.1. Truman; supported Jewish state, launched lobbying effort
4.2. pro-zionist congress pressured UN w/ threats of US withdrawl of USecon assiss. if did not vote in favor
4.2.1. created United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP)