With so many distortions of history in the past year that have recieved no condemnation or any kind of reference around the international community, I find it important to set the record straight today, on the 64th anniversary of the approval of the partition plan which effectively formed Israel and another grave milestone in what has been known as The Middle-East Conflict.
In his speech before the United Nations’ General Assembly, in his op-ed article in The New York Times (published May 17th 2011), Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has significantally distorted the facts and the truth. The same actions of lies and distortion is one of the main reasons why generations of Palestinians, of Muslims and Arab around the region, hate Israel from birth. I’m here to set the record straight.
I encourage you to check various reliable sources and verify the FACTS below. As a person who lives in a democratic society that encourage free mind and knowledge seeking. Given my full disclosure, I encourage you to discover that what I have written here is the truth.
A little background if you will…
In 1888 a Jewish movement seeking to restore the Jewish State where it once stood over 2000 years ago, began one of five large immigrations to the area, then in control of the Ottoman Empire. They have joined generations of Jewish people who have lived on the land for thousands of years, as well as many other religions, most of which are Arab (Muslim and Christians) who were living as part of the Empires that conquered and ruled the middle east. Taking a wasteland, the Jewish immigrants started modernizing the land (Draining swamps, building infrastructures such as running water and so on).
In 1917, as both the British and French Empire conquered parts of the middle east during World War I, They signed an agreement dividing the area between them after the demise of the Ottoman Empire.
In 1917, The British Foreign Minister released the Balfour Declartion asserting that part of that land is now obtained would be given to the Jewish Community and its’ efforts to reclaim its’ home.
In 1920, The League of Nations authorized The British Mandate of Palestine and have states its’ goal of forming the national home for the Jewish people.
In 1922, The Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill released a document stating that Britian would not complete its’ task in full – The land east of the Jordan River was handed to an Arab Monarchy and is today known as the state of Jordan while only on the west side of the river would form the Jewish homeland.
This is the territory PA President Abbas refers to as “our natrual homeland”. Actually, this is just the territory Britian decided it was not given to the son of Hussein ibn Ali and the only territory in the region not given to other Arab / Muslim entities.
In 1930, following acts of terror, Colonial Secretary Passfield released another document that almost complete abolished the idea of a Jewish State.
In 1939, following a three-year round of terror, Colonial Secretary Macdonald released a third document announcing Britian would form a Bi-national state with an Arab majority and complete abandoned the idea of a Jewish homeland.
The Partition Plan of 1947
Following the end of World War II and the defeat of Nazi Germany, Britain found itself in grave financial distress and sought to emancipate the territories it was ruling and give various nations their independance. Such was the case with Egypt, India, Jordan, Sri Lanka and more, including the conflicted area in question. Britain formed two different committees to explore the situation and recommend what to do – Britain rejected both of these committees recommendations and turned to the newly formed United Nations to find a solution.
| A committee by the name of UNSCOP (United Nations Special Committee on Palestine) was formed and submitted its’ recommendations. Its’ top recommendation was a division of the land to three entities – a Jewish State, an Arab State and an international governed territory of Jerusalem and Beit Lehem.
The partition plan was formed due to demographic and other facts set on the ground – by 1947 many community residents, cities and more were formed by the Jewish community. An entire texture of people, filled with culture, theatre, night life and functioning establishments of state were in place. I sometimes hear this absurd allegation that Israel was formed because of the Holocaust. That claim completely disregard the almost functioning state whose formation officially began in 1888. |
 The Partition Plan Map approved by the UN in 1947. Taken from Wikipedia. |
On Novermber 29th 1947, The United Nations approved the partition plan – 33 voted pro, 14 con, 10 abstained.
The Jewish Community took to street in celebration – it was more than accepting of the two-state solution, it was celebrating. Unfortunately, the conflict it seems was only beginning – this is the point of distortion and half-truths. Yes, the UN approved said partition plan and a two-state solution. But on Novermber 30th 1947, the Arab Community, which rejected the partition plan. launched an onslaught against the Jewish people. They declared war.
On May 15th 1948, The British mandate has officially left the area completely. On Friday afternoon of May 14th, Israel declared independance (with no specific regard to borders). It was soon followed by an attack by six arab nations – Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Most of the Arab people living on the land fled their homes, most to simply allow the arab nations “to get the job done” (meaning getting rid of the Jews). To this day all of these people are recognized as Refugees by a seperate one-of-a-kind agency of the UN (UNRWA). Most still live in the refugee camps in various Arab nations, most refuse to award citizenship or basic rights, even more than 60 years later, constantly dangling their return to their so-called homes.
By July of 1949, ceasefire agreement were signed by all parties and new borders were set (though the agreements don’t refer to them as borders, seeing as that would imply recoginition of the state of Israel). The land of Israel was formed on 78% of the land that was left after Winston Churchill’s document in 1922 (where he seperated the land to Israel and Jordan).
The lies and distortions
Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas is just one voice among the many in a system of lies and distortion, a system of blind hate that doesn’t seek a real resolution, a real peace.
In his op-ed, in his speech, in his references to the 1947, he describes the Palestinian people as innocent in all of this. The claim that the evil Jews came along to still the land is preposterous – The Jews, who came before the British conquered the land and were willing to make concessions (as evidented by the acceptance of Churchills’ white paper) while the Arab Community of the land constantly chose violence and terror. Neither side was an angel, neither side was innocent. On Novermber 29th 1947, the Jews celebrated the two-state solution. The Arabs started a bloodshed. Another one.
The war, the “refugee” problem, the fact that to this day they have no state of their own, is not Israel’s fault alone. The day they start taking a part in this, embrace the truth, accept their part and fault in it, could be the day when peace and dialogue can have a real lasting chance for this conflict. But if one side continues to incite and teach lies and hate, it shall not.
By the way, it should be noted that many Arabs did stay in Israel and did not flee during the war. They were given Israeli citizenship and were able to vote from the very first election. The very first Israeli Knesset has Arab represenatives memebers of it.
Tags: Britain, British Mandate, Israel, Novermber 29th, Palestine, Partition Plan, UN
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