Ted Re...In 1947, the Israelis began the ethnic cleansing of the cities and village within what was to be the borders of the new Israeli state. The Palestinians resist moving....there are clashes. Eventually the Palestinians either flee or are forced to leave.....almost overnite there are hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees.
Its amazing you were able to condense that period into the Israelis start ethnic cleansing. Why not put down what the report says about this time without your interpretation.
January: round table conference re-convenes in London.
- February: British foreign minister, E. Bevin, suggests an amendment to the M-G plan and presents it to London conference. Plan rejected by Arab representatives and Jewish Agency.
- February 18: Bevin announces he'll take the problem of Palestine to the United Nations
- April 28 - May 15: UN General Assembly convenes the Palestine session, forms the 11-member UNSCOP committee
- September 8: UNSCOP report published. Majority of its members suggest partition, minority suggest federal solution.
- September 16-19: Arab League denounces partition, forms a committee to help in Palestinian defense needs
- September 26: Arthur Jones, British minister for colonies, announces Britain's decision to end its mandate over Palestine
- September 29: Arab Higher Committee rejects the partition plan.
- October 2: the Jewish Agency accepts the partition plan.
You will note that on April 28 - may 15,1947, the Un formed a committee, called UNSCOP which advised to partition the British mandate called Palestine. On Sept 8-1947, the committee report suggested partitioning Palestine' The Higher Arab committee rejected the plan. On Oct 2-1947 the Jewish Agency accepts the plan.
The next entries are these.
October 7 - 15: Arab League convenes in Lebanon, warns of Zionist danger after Mandate and allocates a million Sterling Pounds for Palestine
- October 29: Britain announces departure in 6 months if no solution achieved
- November 27: Arab League Committee head report warns of inability of Palestinians to face the Zionist armies without help and organization.
- November 29: UN general Assembly votes on an amended partition plan calling for a 56.5 % of Palestine for a Jewish state, 43 % for a Palestinian one and internationalization of Jerusalem. Votes were 33 for, 13 against, 10 abstinations. Arab representatives left the meeting.
There it is. On Nov 29, 1947 the UN General assembly votes on amended partition plan, calling for a 56.5% of Palestine for a Jewish state; 43% for Palestine one and internationalization of Jerusalem. The Jews had accepted the deal, but the Arabs walked out. On May 15, 1948, after the end of the British mandate, the Jewish league announced the state of Israel, consisting mainly of area given to it under the partition plan which the Arab league rejected. Both sides went to war, but in the truces signed in 1949, the Israelis controlled approximately the same land given to it in the partition, however, Jordan, Egypt, and Syria divied up the Palestinians areas. In the 1967 war, Israel conquered all of the area of the original British mandate. The UN called for the area conquered in 1967 to be given back to the Palestinians in resolution 242, and after the Yom Kipper war in res. 343. In 1993, in the Clinton, Arafat, Rabin deal, the PLO took over adminsitration of these lands and all sides agreed to work toward a Palestinian state. This plan Arafat rejected under Clinton, and Bakarak, in 2000.
In summation, did the Palestinians have a chance for a state. Absolutely, in 1947, the Jewish league accepted the partition, but the Arab league did not. In 1993, all sides agreed to work toward a state, but in 2000, Arafat refused to hold up his end of deal; and refused to accept the existence of Israel in exchange for land. Did Israel employ terrorism against the Palestinians, absolutely. Did the Palestinians employ terrorism against Israel in the 1940s, absolutely. However, Israel was far bettor prepared to fight and won the battles in 48 - 49 and every war since then.
Since then, the Israelis have ignored the original partition plan for Palestine and ignored all subsequent UN resolutions calling for a new Palestinian state. The Palestinians had their shot in 1947 and passed on it. Its proven to be their undoing.
Bingo, the Palestinians did have their shot in 1947, but the Arab league was willing to fight to the last Palestinian trying to keep the Jews out. Why. primarily I think because the Koran as written, in certain passages denounces the Jews, and the hardliner fundamentalists couldn't ignore the Koran and accept Jews in their midst. Frankly until the Jews started pushing for a state in Palestine, the Arabs probably would have been willing to live and let live, as there were small Jewish settlements in Palestine, withou many problems in the 1920s. The Jews having their own state was going too far and the Arab states wouldn't accept it.
In the end, their is enough blame for all sides. However, it was shortsighted of the British to ignore Islam and the Koran, and let the Jews establish a state in an area dominated by Israels historic enemies. There were reasons the Jews left 2000 yrs earlier, and some of those reasons still existed. And considering the devastation of WWII, there were other places availabe. |
