Historical Background - There is a lot of details available on the web, but here is a brief history.- Late Ottoman & British Mandate Period (pre-1948):
- Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire until World War I.
- After the war, Britain took control under the Mandate for Palestine (1920–1948).
- During this time, both Jewish and Arab communities lived there. Jewish immigration increased, especially due to persecution in Europe.
- 1947 UN Partition Plan:
- The United Nations proposed dividing Palestine into two states: one Jewish, one Arab, with Jerusalem under international control.
- Jewish leaders accepted the plan; Arab leaders rejected it, arguing it was unfair since Arabs were the majority population.
- 1948 Arab-Israeli War:
- When Israel declared independence in May 1948, neighboring Arab states invaded.
- The war ended with Israel controlling more territory than the UN plan had allocated.
- Around 700,000 Palestinians were displaced (known as the Nakba, or “catastrophe” in Arabic).
- Aftermath:
- Palestinians who fled or were expelled were not allowed to return.
- Israel became a recognized state, while Palestinians remained stateless, many in refugee camps.
- The West Bank and Gaza were controlled by Jordan and Egypt until 1967, when Israel occupied them after the Six-Day War.
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