Nov. 29 – The Partition of Palestine
Nov. 29, U.N. Votes for Partition of Palestine On this day in 1947, the United Nations voted for the partition of Palestine and the creation of an independent Jewish state despite heavy Arab opposition. It is important to note that this was not the start of the Jewish-Arab conflict over Palestine, which actually began in in the 1910s when both groups laid claims to the British-controlled land. The vote gave over half of Palestine to the Jews for the creation of their state even though Jews didn’t even make up half of the population of Palestine. Soon after, England gave up control of the area. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was proclaimed, and the next day forces from the Arab nations of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded. The Israelis managed to win the ensuing conflict and even seized additional territories.
Questions:
- Why do you think the Arab-Israeli conflict has been so enduring? Why haven’t the world foremost leaders been able to come up with a solution agreeable to both sides?
- Historically the U.S. has been the strongest supporter of the Israeli state. Why do you think that there have been growing calls to limit our support of Israel?
- Does the U.N. have the power to do anything about the Israeli governments disregard for international norms and laws?
Image Citation:
18 July, 2018, U.N. Partitions Palestine. . Retrieved from <nchistorytoday.wordpress.com/2014/10/11/u-n-representative-herschel-johnson-advocated-partition-of-palestine-1947/>.