History
There are various narratives surrounding the events leading up to the creation of the State of Israel and what happened during the 1948 war. Although differing narratives exist, as they do with most wars, we believe that by looking at the current evidence, we can clarify certain assumptions surrounding these events, including the one most used by Christian Zionists, that the land was “empty”.
We also recognize that the events surrounding the creation of the State of Israel and what has happened since then is an on going process of research. History is dynamic and we welcome new evidence that sheds light on these events.
Before 1948
After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the British controlled Palestine from 1920 – 1948. This period was known as the “British Mandate”.
The status of the populations between Arabs and Jews living in the land of Palestine before 1948 is one that is continuing to be debated. While researching for this film, we came across various population numbers and statistics. We have tried to take numbers that most accurately indicated the realities on the ground at that time. The two main things that can be said with little doubt, no matter what numbers you use is that one, the land of Palestine was not empty when Jews began immigrating back in the late 19th century. Two, there was a majority Arab population and minority Jewish communities living in the land of Palestine before 1948.
Jewish immigration to Palestine grew, especially during and after WW2 and the Holocaust, which saw the systematic murder of over 6 million Jews at the hands of the Nazis.
As Jewish immigration grew, tensions between the two communities mounted. However, before that, Arabs and Jews lived together peacefully. It is true that there was Arab migration into the area as Jewish immigration and opportunities arose, however the idea that Arabs only started to populate the area when Jews made it prosperous is a myth.
1948 War
As tensions between Arabs and Jews grew, the British finally turned the issue of Palestine over to the United Nations. The UN Partition plan was formulated which was to give 55% of mandate Palestine to the Jews, and 45% to the Arabs. The Jews immediately accepted the plan as “the indispensable minimum”, while Arabs rejected it as being unfair according to the population balance between Jews and Arabs at the time. On May 15, 1948, the British pulled out of Palestine, the Jewish army immediately took control of their areas and the State of Israel was declared by the Jewish leadership. (The State of Israel was actually declared on May 14, one day before the British pulled out.)
Surrounding Arab armies immediately invaded the new Palestinian territories while Egypt and Syria went further into what was to be the new Jewish state. After the 1948 war, Israel captured and retained over 77% of mandate Palestine while Jordan controlled the West Bank and East Jerusalem and Egypt took Gaza.
The Palestinians refer to May 15, 1948 as “al Nakba” (the catastrophe) as many were displaced and forced from family lands and villages. Most estimates state that close to 750,000 Palestinian Refugees resulted from the 1948 War. Over 400 Arab villages were depopulated.
1967 War (Six Day War)
In June of 1967, with the Egyptian army once again amassing their armies on the border and threatening to invade Israel. Israel launched a pre-emptive attack by attacking Egyptian aircraft while it was still on the ground. Although reluctant, Egypt convinced Jordan and Syria to join the war effort. At the end of the war on June 10, 1967, Israel had captured Gaza and the Sinai from Egypt, the West Bank including East Jerusalem from Jordan and the Golan from Syria. Israel annexed the Golan and East Jerusalem but kept the West Bank and Gaza Strip under military occupation.
In 1979, in a peace treaty with the Egyptians, Israel retuned the Sinai back to Egypt.
The results of the 1967 war are still affecting geopolitics today.
United Nations approves UN Resolution 242
For a detailed study of the Arab-Israeli conflict and history, we recommend “Palestine & the Arab-Israeli Conflict” by Charles D. Smith.