Assess the extent to which Jewish resistance to the British mandate contributed to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
Level
A Level
Year Examined
2022
Topic
International history, 1945–92
👑Complete Model Essay
Assess the extent to which Jewish resistance to the British mandate contributed to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
Jewish Resistance and the Creation of Israel
The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 was a complex event with a multitude of contributing factors. While Jewish resistance to the British Mandate undoubtedly played a role, its significance must be weighed against other crucial elements, including international diplomacy, the Holocaust's impact, and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Jewish resistance to British rule in Palestine intensified during and after World War II. The British, bound by the conflicting promises of the Balfour Declaration and their desire to maintain Arab support, restricted Jewish immigration to Palestine, particularly during the Holocaust. This policy, viewed as a betrayal by many Jews, fueled armed resistance groups like Irgun and Lehi. Actions such as the bombing of the King David Hotel (1946) demonstrated the increasing desperation and militancy of some Zionist groups. These attacks contributed to the British decision to relinquish the Mandate and turn the problem over to the newly formed United Nations in 1947.
However, it is crucial to avoid overstating the impact of Jewish resistance. The British decision to withdraw from Palestine was also influenced by a myriad of other pressures. The economic burden of maintaining the Mandate, the dwindling support for colonialism in the post-war world, and the increasing violence in Palestine all played significant roles. Furthermore, the British were acutely aware of the growing importance of the Arab world, particularly in terms of oil resources, and were reluctant to jeopardize these relationships.
While Jewish resistance may have hastened Britain's exit, it did not directly lead to the creation of Israel. The 1947 UN Partition Plan, recommending the division of Palestine into independent Jewish and Arab states, was the result of international diplomacy and the global sympathy generated by the Holocaust. The atrocities committed against Jews during World War II made the idea of a Jewish state morally compelling to many nations, leading to the UN vote in favor of partition.
Furthermore, the subsequent Arab-Israeli War of 1948, ignited by the Arab rejection of the partition plan, ultimately proved decisive in the establishment of Israel. The newly formed Israeli Defense Forces, comprising pre-existing Zionist militias like the Haganah, were able to repel the invading Arab armies, securing more territory than originally allocated by the UN plan. This military victory, rather than Jewish resistance to the British, solidified Israel's existence and determined its final borders.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Jewish resistance to the British Mandate played a role in creating Israel, it was not the defining factor. It contributed to the British decision to withdraw, but this decision was ultimately driven by a complex interplay of economic, political, and international pressures. The Holocaust's impact on global opinion, the UN's role in proposing partition, and Israel's victory in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War were far more significant in leading to the creation of the State of Israel. Attributing Israel's existence solely or primarily to Jewish resistance provides an incomplete and potentially misleading narrative of this complex historical event.
**Sources:**
Benny Morris, *Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-1999(1999).
Ilan Pappe, *The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine(2006).
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Jewish Resistance and the Creation of Israel: An Assessment
This essay will assess the argument that Jewish resistance to the British Mandate played a significant role in the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. It will explore the key events of Jewish resistance, the British response, and the role of international actors, such as the United Nations and the United States. Crucially, it will consider the extent to which other factors, such as the actions of the British, the United States, and the United Nations, contributed to the establishment of Israel.
The Rise of Jewish Resistance
The British Mandate in Palestine, established after World War I, was marked by growing tensions between Jewish and Arab populations. Following the Holocaust, the British government restricted Jewish immigration to Palestine, fueling resentment and prompting the rise of Jewish resistance groups like the Irgun and Lehi. These groups carried out violent attacks against British targets, including the bombing of the King David Hotel in 1946, which had a devastating impact on British public opinion and further alienated the British from the Jewish population.
The Role of the British
While Jewish resistance undoubtedly contributed to British frustration and ultimately their decision to withdraw from Palestine, it is important to consider that the British were facing a range of challenges, including pressure from the United States to ease immigration restrictions and their own desire to avoid further conflict in the region. The British government's decision to refer the issue to the United Nations in 1947 was a crucial step toward the eventual creation of Israel, but it was also a sign of their exhaustion and their inability to find a solution acceptable to both Jews and Arabs.
The Crucial Role of the United Nations
The United Nations' 1947 decision to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states was a watershed moment. This decision was heavily influenced by both Jewish and American pressure, but it also reflected the growing international awareness of the plight of Jewish refugees and the need for a Jewish state. While Jewish resistance played a role in shaping public opinion and influencing the UN's decision, it was ultimately the UN's action, and the subsequent Arab rejection of the partition plan, that paved the way for the establishment of Israel.
The Arab Response and the War of 1948
The Arab League's rejection of the partition plan and subsequent invasion of Palestine in 1948 were crucial factors in the creation of Israel. The Arab rejection of the partition plan solidified the need for a Jewish state and provided the necessary justification for Israeli independence. The ensuing war, a product of unresolved tensions and the Arab League's aggressive response, further cemented Israel's existence and contributed to its expansion beyond the territory allotted by the UN partition plan.
Conclusion:
While Jewish resistance was undoubtedly a contributing factor to the British withdrawal from Palestine and the UN's decision to partition the region, it was not the sole or even the most significant factor. The role of the British, the United States, and the United Nations, as well as the actions of the Arab League, must also be taken into account. Jewish resistance proved to be a catalyst for change but ultimately it was the confluence of these diverse factors that led to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
Extracts from Mark Schemes
Assess the extent to which Jewish resistance to the British mandate contributed to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
Indicative content:
Palestine had been under the control of the British since 1917 and became a mandate of the League of Nations in 1923. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 had stated that the British government viewed with favour the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people but did not want to prejudice the rights of existing non-Jewish communities.
During the Second World War, the British restricted the entry into Palestine of European Jews escaping Nazi persecution. This provoked armed Jewish resistance against the British. The main terrorist groups were Irgun Zvai Leumi and a more militant organisation, Lohamey Heruth Israel (LHI). At the end of the war, 250,000 Jewish refugees were stranded in displaced persons camps in Europe but the British refused to lift the ban on immigration and admit 100,000 Jews to Palestine despite pressure from President Truman.
The Haganah now united with the Irgun and carried out raids against the British. In late 1945, in response to full-scale riots in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and bomb attacks on the railway system, British troops had to be deployed in support of the civil police. On June 28, 1946, 17,000 British troops carried out Operation Agatha in Jerusalem. The Jewish Agency offices and other buildings were raided, and arms caches discovered. The bombing of the British Officers club in Haifa resulted in 30 people killed and injured.
On July 22, 1946, Irgun fighters also blew up a wing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, killing over 90 people, including many civilians. This attack broke the fragile Haganah-Irgun partnership. In September 1946, the British called a conference of Jewish and Arab leaders in London; it ended in deadlock. In February 1947, the Government announced it had decided to refer the problem to the UN. Jewish resistance had resulted in Britain abandoning the mandate but there was still no Jewish state.
The British government announced it would withdraw from Palestine on May 18, 1948. An 11-member Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) recommended that Palestine be partitioned into an Arab State and a Jewish State, with a special international status for the city of Jerusalem under the administrative authority of the UN. It seemed as if the Jews would now have their own state. The Arab State was to be granted 43% of Palestine’s territory and the Jewish State was to be created in the remaining 56%.
Although the Arabs rejected the plan, arguing that it violated the principles of self-determination in the UN Charter, the resolution was passed by a two-thirds majority by the UN Assembly. Britain not only objected to the UN partition resolution, it also refused to help implement it or even to permit UN observers to prepare the ground for the partition. This British refusal was largely motivated by self-interest; the British wanted to avoid damaging their relations with the Arab states that had rejected the partition.
The Arab states and the Arab League had, in early 1947, already started military preparations to prevent the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine. In late 1947, a pan-Arab ‘Liberation Army’, comprising volunteers from several Arab nations, invaded Palestine to reverse the partition resolution. A civil war broke out in Palestine, which turned into an Arab-Israeli war on May 14, 1948, when the creation of the state of Israel was proclaimed and several Arab armies invaded Palestine.
Eventually, Israel defeated the Arab 30 armies and the Palestinian militias and occupied more land than had been allocated to it by the 1947 UN resolution. Accordingly, a balanced response might consider factors such as the role of the British, Americans, and the UN as alternatives to the stated factor.