How were the relative chunks of land determined in the original partition? Was there NEVER a consensus between the Arabs & the Jews?
Yes, there never was a concensus. Britain, because Britain controlled parts of the middle east, under the command of Allenby, was enjoined by the UN to partition the last part of the failing Ottoman empire. The Brits devised a plan to partition Palestine into Arab, and Jewish controlled sectors. While the Jews ratified the partition in 1948 I believe, the Arabs didn't, hoping for a better deal. Without a deal, the Israelies were better prepared to fight after the British left, and subsequently won several wars, which eventually left Israel in conrol of all of the original mandate.
Assuming we oust Saddam, is it likely that a democratic government will be accepted in Iraq?
I would consider it very likely. Japan , with its samuai and devotion to its throne, would have been a far harder nut to crack, and look what has happened. As far as I am concerned, the arab world will never regain its greatness until the petty warlords and religious divisions are overcome, and the arabs work toward the common good. |
