To: Elmer Flugum who wrote (279 ) 1/3/2002 5:15:42 PM From: Zeev Hed Read Replies (1) | Respond to Actually, you got to correct your perception that it was the Western world that created the State of Israel. The Jews did it all on their own. In 1948, the US and Europe had an arm embargo on Israel (while Britain supplied both the Jordanian Legion, actually still under the command of a British officer, "Galab Pasha", if memory serves, and that was the only front where the IDF did not manage to hold the lines, that is how the Jewish quarters, Mount Scopius, the Ezion block of settlements all ended up in Jordanian hands). Israel got its arms from the east (specifically Chechoslovakia). The reason my friend, was not Stalin's love for the Jewish State, but the desire to destabilize the mid-east so that the west's oil resources could be jeopardized. The western world was ready to see their moral problem disappear in flames, and stood aghast when the scheme did not work. The Uzi, was born locally, since hand machine guns (they wanted some "Tomy guns" from the Brits, no way, Jose) could not be imported. The US did not start selling arms to Israel until the mid sixties, after De Gaule changed his policy relative to Algeria, got some serious help in developing his nuclear weapons, and it was no longer advantageous to him to sell arms to Israel. The Jews in Israel created their own state by followng a very long range non aggressive plan (started in 1880) to settle the land, and yes, buy a bunch of that land from absent landlords in Syria). As for refugees, you may not want to admit it, but there were as many Jewish refugees from Arab countries as they were Arab refugees from "Palestine". Israel solved its refugee problems, did the Arab countries use the confiscated Jewish properties to help their brethern? The Greek did, the 2 MM Sikhs that were expelled from Pakistan in 1949 were resettled, why not the Palestinians? When Israel declared independence, guess what, the US recognized the new State "De Facto", only the Soviet block recognized the new state "De Jure". These are all facts, not fiction. Only after 1952, when it became clear to Stalin that Israel cannot be converted to another "Socialist State", did the West slowly move into support of the nascent state. Only because, the Soviets moved to support revolutions in neighboring countries, and create a bunch of "client states" armed to the teeth. The West was left no choice but to support the opposing side, Israel and do its most to support the King's house in Saudi Arabia (oil my man, follow the oil and you will understand the troubles the Palestinians are in, they could have had a state of their own, much bigger than they can ever dream of having, if it was not for the East/West conflict, the callous use by the Arab nations of the refugees problem as a "lightening rod" and the part that oil has played in that conflict).
