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The Roots of the Palestinian Conflict

Modern Middle East

Fall 2002

How Did It Begin?

� Does it imply a deep split between Muslims and Jews?

� Is it solely a religious conflict?

� What role did Christian Anti-Semitism play in the Birth of Israel?

� For nearly two millennia Jews lacked a national identity.

� Still they maintained their religious and group identity in tact.

� Starting in the 18^th Century Jews were freed from their earlier restrictions.

� But in the late 19^th Century the ugly head of Anti-Semitism raised its head again.

� A Homeland was the only answer

Rabbis and the Returned to the Promised Land

� Political Zionism had its origins in Rabbis reminding the faithful that they could not return to the Promised Land until the coming of the Messiah.

� **Moses Hess, a German Jew and author, claimed in Rome and Jerusalem (1862) that European an authentic socialistic paradise in Israel.**

� **In Russia, Political Zionism received a boost from Leon Pinsker�s Auto-Emancipation (1882).**

� Pinsker argued that Jews were victimized because they did not have a home.

� As Russian Jews experienced more and more pogroms, this was a clarion call for a migration to Palestine.

The Early Influx of Jewish Settlers

� Immigrants arrived in increasing numbers.

� They sought to farm.

� Yet they knew little about farming.

� The help they received came from Alliance Israelite Universelle.

� The Alliance helped Jews in North Africa and the Middle East, yet was not committed to an independent Jewish state.

� By the 1880s the number of Jews in Palestine did not number more than 20,000 immigrants.

The Role of Theodore Herzl

� The influx of young Russian immigrants would not have sustained the movement to Palestine for very long.

� Who altered the situation forever was Theodore Herzl.

� Who was an assimilated Jewish writer that was shocked by what had happened to Alfred Dreyfus in France.

� **Following that incident he wrote Der Judenstaat.**

� He had the first International Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland in 1897.

Resolution of the First Zionist Congress

� The goal of Zionism is to establish a homeland for the Jewish people.

� Colonization of Palestine

� Organizing and uniting of all Jews in all countries.

� Awakening of a Jewish National Sentiment and Awareness.

� Seeking ways and means of receiving governmental recognition of Zionism goals.

Herzl�s Program of Recognition

� Wrote books and article and championing a Jewish state.

� Made speeches for the cause.

� Sought support from influential Jews.

� The British did offer a homeland in the �White Highlands� of Kenya.

� Most European Jews, especially Russian Jews, emphatically rejected this proposal.

� When Herzl died in 1904 it looked like that Zionism might die with him.

Second Aliyah

� The second wave of Jewish immigration to Palestinian took place after 1905 and continuing until 1914.

� Still, many Russian Jews went to the �Land of Gold� rather than Palestine.

� They established the nucleus of a Jewish community in Palestine by creating schools, newspapers, theater, and sports clubs.

� **The Olim [Immigrants] even helped revive Hebrew as a language.**

� **Their most lasting achievement was the creation of the Kibbutz or Collective Farm.**

World War I

� World War I helped revive Political Zionism.

� Both the Allies and Central Powers needed Jewish support.

� For the most part, most of the articulate Jewish opinion leaders lived in Austria and Germany.

� As well as the Ottoman Empire.

� Even before the U.S. entry into World War I, most American Jews supported the Central Powers because of the Russian Problem.

� And the Mounting Pogroms there.

� Germany had to be careful concerning Jewish matters for fears of alienating Istanbul.

� Then the British entered the picture.

The Balfour Declaration

� The leading Zionist in Britain was Chaim Weizmann, a chemist, who helped the war effort by synthesizing acetone, a chemical in explosives.

� David Lloyd George, a devote reader of the Bible, supported Zionism too.

� The Foreign Secretary Lord Balfour supported the concept too.

� And so notified British Zionists of the Cabinet�s decision too.

The Balfour Letter

� �His Majesty�s Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.�

What Did the Note Say?

� This has became the Magna Carta of Political Zionism.

� It does not say that Britain would turn Palestine into a Jewish state.

� The British only promised to create a Jewish home in the region.

� Likewise, it guaranteed it would not harm the religious rights for both Christians and Jews.

� Who made up 93 percent of the population.

� The goal for Jewish groups to find a way to insure their rights.

The British Take Charge of Palestine

� With the British occupation, the British turned Jerusalem into their administrative center.

� Quickly they became involved in Arab-Jewish disputes.

� The Arabs were concerned with British intentions after the British covered-up the finding of the King-Crane Commission.

� The first Arab Revolt came in April 1920 and Arabs began killing Jews and destroying Jewish Property.

� By 1922, the League of Nations awarded Britain the Mandate for Palestine.

British Mandate for Palestine

� The League charged Britain with adhering to the Balfour Declaration.

� Britain was to encourage Jews to migrate to Palestine.

� Help settle Jews there.

� Also establish a Jewish Agency to help administrate Palestine.

The Split Between Britain and the Jews

� Winston Churchill as Colonial Secretary denied that GB was obligated to create a Jewish homeland.

� Restrict immigration to Palestine for Jews.

� Also create the Emirate of Transjordan.

� Some Jews, especially Vladimir Jabotinsky, wanted to confront the Brits over the concept of the Jewish National homeland.

The Situation in Palestine

� There was a movement in Palestine among a group known as Revisionism.

� This position was championed by Ze�ev Jabotinsky.

� And argued that Jews could not wait for British good will before a homeland was established.

� Jabotinsky, while attracted to fascism, was not willing to break with the British.

� Instead, he favored the creation of a Jewish Army.

� One member of the Revisionists camp would not accept this.

� His name was Avram Stern.

How About Even Reaching Out to the Nazis�

� Stern often called himself �Yair� � after Eleazer ben Yair the Zealot commander at Masada.

� He despised the British and reached out to the Nazis.

� He even believed that the Nazis would allow for the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine.

� In 1942 with the help of Ben-Gurion, the British tracked Stern down and killed.

� Stern then became a martyr for the extra rightwing in Palestine.

� In many ways this was a throw back to early Jewish history and forerunner of the problem with Ariel Sharon.

The Purpose of the Haganah

� The Haganah was to defend the Yishuv.

� Likewise to train a Jewish militia.

� But it wasn�t until 1940 the Haganah had a clear military framework.

� Left wing members of the Socialist movement was apposed to the creation of the Haganah since it could turn rightward into fascism.

But There Was A Problem�

� Most of the Jewish community was basically pacifists!

� Even when under attack by Arab militants.

� Except for a few in the Haganah who had emigrated from Southern Russia and were known as either the �two Avrahams� for Avraham Tehomi and Avraham Krichevsky.

� When Tehomi could not enter the United States on a planned visit in 1931, he returned to Jerusalem and asked to form a secret organization.

� More important, he was suspected of being a member of the Revisionist Party.

� So he, and others, created a secret and separate organization called Irgun Zvai Le'umi, simply better known as the �Irgun.�

� The base of support was found in Jerusalem.

� University students were attracted to it as well called the Sohba.

� Soon, other Jewish youth groups joined as well.

Irgun Leadership

� Avraham Tehomi.

� David Raziel.

� Avraham Stern.

� Hillel Kook.

� Hayim Shalom Halevi.

� The ranks were also increased as a result from students and sports groups joining.

� Soon, branch offices were opened in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Safed.

� The Irgun was ready for action when needed.

The Arab Revolt

� The Grand Mufti encouraged Arabs to attack Jews by claiming that the Jews had designs on the Temple Mount.

� This all started in 1929 and soon spread through out Palestine.

� At first the Arabs attacked and murdered (some times it was sheer butchery).

� The Haganah was powerless to responded initially.

� In Hebron 133 Jews were killed and 399 were wounded.

The Sword of Gideon Strikes Back

� The Haganah became an all encompassing all males.

� Establish training camps and officer training facilities.

� Established arms caches and imported as many arms from Europe as possible.

� Started to mass produce arms and ammunition at home.

� Worked closely with a rather strange Englishman who claimed to be a friend of the Zionists, even though he was not Jewish!

The First Coming of Orde Wingate

� Wingate was the son of a retired officer and was deeply religious, particularly the Old Testament.

� As a captain, he was sent to Palestine as an intelligence officer.

� Have to remember that the Arab rioters were attacking not only the Jews, but also the British too.

� He worked closely with the Haganah and encourage the Haganah to think out of the box and take the fight to the Arabs � at night, using stealth, ambush, and hit-and-run raids � to intimidate the Arabs.

� To do this he created Special Night Squads (SNS).

� The missions were very effective.

Wingate Was Controversial

� He maintained a solid relationship with the Zionists of the Jewish Agency.

� Because of his efforts he was known as �the Friend� throughout British controlled Palestine.

� The Arabs and some British officials pressed for his recall.

� And they were successful.

� He is responsible for training many Jews who would command units of the Palmach and later the IDF such as Moshe Dyan.

� He went on to liberate Ethiopia and commanded the Chindits in Burma where he was killed in a plane crash in 1944.

� He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Some Simple Truths

� One element was led by Avraham Stern who as a Revisionist felt that the British would never implement an independent Israel.

� Elements of the Haganah worked closely with the British in the Middle East to combat Nazi influence in Iraq and Lebanon.

� When it appeared that Independence was not going to happen, the Stern Gang and the Irgun stuck at the British starting in 1943.

Avraham Stern and Political Objects of the Stern Gang

� Stern even approached the Nazis in order to get the British out of Palestine.

� With the help of the traditional Zionists around David Ben-Gurion, Stern was hunted down and killed in 1942.

� The Stern Gang wanted the creation of a Biblical Israel stretching from the Mediterranean to the Tigris and Euphrates.

Stern Gang�s Targets

� The first target was Lord Moyne, the British Minister in Egypt in 1944.

� The assassins were quickly captured, tried and hanged.

� Only in the 1990s were their bodies returned to Israel and given a heroes burial.

� The next target was Count Bernadotte, the head of the International Red Cross, who sought to come up with a comprehensive peace solution.

The Stern Gang�s Links with the Historical Past

� The Stern Gang saw themselves as part of the Maccabees.

� The British as the Romans.

� Mainstream Zionists as Hellenists.

� The Stern Gang wanted to recreate the great Biblical triumphs of the Old Testament.

� Despite the fact that most of the greatest exploits in Jewish history were tragic and bloody defeats.

The Revolt was Proclaimed

� It was clear that the war was being won, and the British would not open Palestine for further Settlement.

� They were turning ships back to Europe for the Jews to meet their fates.

� The British had no intention to revise the White Paper.

� But the Irgun had to find a leader to carry out the Irgun�s plans.

� They finally found their man.

Menahem Begin

� Who arrived in Palestine about 1943.

� In December 1943 he was selected as commander of the Irgun forces.

� In Feb. 1944 Palestine was plastered with posters proclaiming the Revolt.

� The first targets were the immigration authorities.

� Then the Income Tax Offices.

� Followed by British Intelligence and Police.

Stern Gang Sends Agents to Murder Moyne

� The Stern Gang considered Lord Moyne responsible for sending the ships back to Europe.

� The Agents were Eliyahu Hakim and Eliyahu Beit-Zuri.

� The were sent to Cairo on November 6, 1944.

� They were tried and executed in Cairo.

� Both accepted death calmly as true zealots.

Complaints Against Lord Moyne

The Hunting Season

� The Haganah sought to stop the Irgun�s war against the British.

� Moshe Sneh and Eliyahu Golomb from the Haganah meet Begin in September 1944.

� To the Haganah, the Irgun and their terror tactics were traitors to the Jewish community.

� **This struggle is evident in Leon Uris�s novel Exodus and the 1960 film starring Paul Newman.**

British Promises and British Failures

� The War gave the Jews hope.

� Labor promised to revoke the White Paper and allow all the survivors of the Holocaust to go to Palestine.

� Then they broke their promise.

� Ben-Gurion then encouraged an alliance between the Irgun, the Lehi (Stern Gang), and the Haganah to resist.

� Retaliate for each Jew killed as a result of the infamous White Paper.

The United Opposition

� The Haganah organization has entered upon a military struggle against British rule.

� The Irgun and Lehi will not implement combat plans without the approval of the command of the United Resistance.

� The Irgun and Lehi will carry out combat missions assigned to them by the command of the United Resistance Movement.

� Discussions of proposed operations will not be formal.

� Representatives of the three fighting organizations will meet regularly, or whenever the need arises, and will discuss such plans from a political and practical viewpoint.

� Once operations have been approved in principle, experts from the three organizations will clarify the details.

� The need to obtain the consent of the United Resistance command does not apply to arms' acquisition (i.e. confiscating weapons from the British). Irgun and Lehi have the right to conduct such operations at their discretion.

� The agreement between the three fighting organizations is based on 'positive precepts'.

� If, at some time, the Haganah should be ordered to abandon the military struggle against the British authorities, the Irgun and Lehi will continue to fight.

The Command Structure for the United Opposition

The United Resistance�s Targets

� December 27, 1945, Second Attack on the British Military Intelligence Offices.

� February 25, 1946, �The Night of the Airfields� � Attacked three RAF Airfields in Palestine.

� Raids on British bases for weapons and ammunition.

� Sometimes for hostages to protect some of their comrades who were captured by the British and who were sentenced to hang.

� The most spectacular strike came in July 1946 at the King David Hotel.

Attack on the King David Hotel

� **Much as been written about this � just check out Uris�s Exodus.**

� But this was not an ordinary hotel.

� On the second floor of the hotel was the nerve center of British rule in Palestine.

� The explosive charge was placed directly below those offices.

� The main target was those offices, not the people either living or working there.

No Apologizes Can Exonerate The Death and Destruction

� Begin claimed that warnings were issued.

� The Irgun�s strategy was not to wantonly target civilians (like today).

� But still 91 civilians, men, women, children, Arabs, Jews, and Britons, were killed in the blast.

� But the bombing received worldwide attention as one of the earliest lethal terrorist acts of the20th Century.

Begin�s Plan

� Create a climate in Palestine and Britain that the British were ineffective at stopping the Irgun campaign.

� Nothing could stop the Irgun/United Resistance Campaign, not even martial law.

� The goal was to push the British publics endurance to the breaking point.

� Between 1945-47, the British experienced 150 soldiers were killed.

� The goal was not to kill � the numbers were very small � but the plan was to create doubt in the ability of the British to rule Palestine.

� Then there was the campaign by Zionist/American Jewish Lobbyists to push for independence.

� Injunction with the bombing of the King David Hotel and the hanging of two British sergeants in 1947 compounded Britain�s problems in Palestine.

� As a result of the continued violence and the inability to end the terrorism, London was more than willing to get out of Palestine.