Figure 1.--The United Nations after World war II voted to partition the British Mandate of Palestinr (1948). The Jew announced the creation of the the independent Jewish state of Israel. The Palestinian Arabs and the Arab countries rejected partition and launched a war against Israel. The Arab countries which invaded did not move to create a Palistinian Arab state, but rather annexed the areas they occupied. The Egyptians seized Gaza. Here we see a Palestinian Arab boy in Egyptian-occupied Gaza in 1956. The press caption read, "A study in contrat: A boy riding a donkey in Gaza, just as his Biblical ancestors did and a stretch of barbed wire which encloses one of the refugee camps in which stands a modernconstruction." While Israel moved to integrate Palistinian Arabs into its society, Egypt and the other front-line Arab states set up refugee camps where they were confined. Not only did those camps still xist in 1956 when this photigraph was taken, but camps still exist today.

Palestine is located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea in the southern area of the Levant bordering on the Arabian Peninsula. Its history, area, and population have varied greatly over tume. Palestine is a small sliver of the Middle East. The actual borders have varied overtime. Currently it is about 10,000 square miles and occupied by Israel and the Palestinian Arabs. It is substantially larger if Jordan is included. Jordan was part of the British Paestinian inherited from the Ottomans after World War and separated from the rest of Palestine after the First Partition (1922). Palestine has been settled continuously for tens of thousands of year milenia before the ppearance of civilization. Fossil discoveries of Homo erectus, Neanderthal, and modern Homo sapines, as well as transitional types show that Palestine was on the migratory path of Homonoids out of Afria. Archeologists have also found hybrid Emmer wheat at Jericho dating from before 8,000 BC this was at the time of the Neolitic Revolution and the birth of human civilization. This is undoubtedly related to developments in Mesopotamia and one of the earliet sites of known agricultural activity yet found. Various people have lived in Palestine. Amorites, Canaanites, and other Semitic peoples related to the Phoenicians centered in Tyre along the coast entered the area (about 2000 BC). The Phoenicians were an important Mediterranean trading power and related to the Canaanites. What we now call Palestine thus became known as the Land of Canaan the term used in the Bible. Despite its small size and lack of important resources, Palestine has been one of the most fought-over areas of the world. This was in part because it was located in the borderlands of the world first two great civilizatuins, Mesoptamia and Egypt as well as subsequent civiizations which followed. Palestine was also located at the crossroads of trade between Asiam Arabia, Africa, and Europe. This may explaine the areas role in the evolution of the three great Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Small independent kingdoms developed in what is now Palestine. Two were the Jewish kingdoms of Judeh and Israel. Palestine is especially interesting to historians because the Bible has proven to include considerable historical information. Eventually those and the other kingdoms were conquered or came under the influence of the great empires surronding the Levant. As a result, what we now call Palestine became a buffer state or states between the major powers of the time and was often conquered are fought over by those empires. It was eventually conquered by Alexander and his successors and in time absorbed by the Roman Empire. What is now Palestine has been a province in a long series of empires. There were for brief periods small , including the empires of Egypt, Pheonecia, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Macedonia/Greece, Rome, Byzantium Arab, Ottoman Turks, and finally Britain. Mritain acquired Palestine during World War I. After World War II British rule was followed by the the United Nations partition. Israel declared its independence in the area alloted to Jewish rule (1948), The Palestinian Arabs rejected partition and launched a more intense phase of Arab-Isreali conflict began by the Grand Mufii in the 1920s. While Israel was created as an independent nation state for the Jews in Palestine, not country was established for the Panestinian Arabs. This was because the Palestinian Arabs did not accept the U.N. partition and the neighboring Arab countries which invaded were more intent on seizing territory than establishing an independent Palistinian state. Palestinian Arab areas were seized by Jordan and Egypt. The Palistinians continued to see war and violence as the answer to their goals. They finally got what they wanted--a major war waged by the Front Line Arab states equipped with massive amounts of modern Soviet arms. The Six Days War (June 1967) fought before the United States had begun to arm the Israelis. The Six Days War is the semenal event in the Middle East Conflict. Even today the major demand of arab states is to redraw borders based on the pre-1967 frontiers.

Geography

Palestine is located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea in the southern area of the Levant bordering on the Arabian Peninsula. Its history, area, and population have varied greatly over tume. Palestine is a small sliver of the Middle East. The actual borders have varied overtime. Currently it is about 10,000 square miles and populated by Israelis and Palestinian Arabs. It is substantially larger if Jordan is included. Jordan was part of the British Paestinian inherited from the Ottomans after World War and separated from the rest of Palestine after the First Partition (1922).

Pre-history

Palestine has been settled continuously for tens of thousands of year milenia before the ppearance of civilization. Fossil discoveries of Homo erectus, Neanderthal, and modern Homo sapines, as well as transitional types show that Palestine was on the migratory path of Homonoids out of Afria.

Ancient Histiry

Archeologists have also found hybrid Emmer wheat at Jericho dating from before 8,000 BC this was at the time of the Neolitic Revolution and the birth of human civilization. This is undoubtedly related to developments in Mesopotamia and one of the earliet sites of known agricultural activity yet found. Various people have lived in Palestine. Amorites, Canaanites, and other Semitic peoples related to the Phoenicians centered in Tyre along the coast entered the area (about 2000 BC). The Phoenicians were an important Mediterranean trading power and related to the Canaanites. What we now call Palestine thus became known as the Land of Canaan the term used in the Bible. Despite its small size and lack of important resources, Palestine has been one of the most fought-over areas of the world. This was in part because it was located in the borderlands of the world first two great civilizatuins, Mesoptamia and Egypt as well as subsequent civiizations which followed. Palestine was also located at the crossroads of trade between Asiam Arabia, Africa, and Europe. This may explaine the areas role in the evolution of the three great Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Small independent kingdoms developed in what is now Palestine. Two were the Jewish kingdoms of Judeh and Israel. Palestine is especially interesting to historians because the Bible has proven to include considerable historical information. Eventually those and the other kingdoms were conquered or came under the influence of the great empires surronding the Levant. As a result, what we now call Palestine became a buffer state or states between the major powers of the time and was often conquered are fought over by those empires. It was eventually conquered by Alexander and his successors and in time absorbed by the Roman Empire. What is now Palestine has been a province in a long series of empires. There were for brief periods small , including the empires of Egypt, Pheonecia, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Macedonia/Greece, and Rome.

Medievl Era

Palestine during the medieval era was occupied by Byzantium, the Arabs, the Crusaders, and the Mamalukes. It was here the Mongol armies were stopped in the south.

Ottoman Turks (1516-1918)

Palestine in the mid-19th century when Jreish writers began conceiving pf returning was a province of the declining Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Turks conquered Palestine (1516). Local governors appointed by the Ottomans collected revenues which was forwarded to Constntinople. Thee Ottomans promoted important public works. Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem (1537). The Druse attenpted to establish their own state in northern Palestine during the early Ottoman era. Napoleon conducted one of his earliest campaigns in the Middle East, seizing Cairo and areas in Palestine (1798). He took Jaffa, Ramle, Lydda, Nazareth and Tiberias, but wa unable to take Acre. A Royal Navy squadron under Nelson destoyed the French fleet and made Napoleon's position untenable. Mehemet Ali of Egypt seized Palestine from the Ottomans. His son Ibrahim Pasha leading Egyptian troops took Acre (1831). The local Palestinian population revolted (1834). After considerableturmoil, the Ottomans regained control of Palestine (1840). The Palestinian Arab population played a role in the political reforms seeking to modernize the Ottoman Empire (1876 and 1908). Ottoman Palestine consisted of two administrative areas. There was the autnomous Sanjak (district) of Jerusalem which was subject to the High Porte in Constantinople. The Sanjak included an area from Jaffa to the River Jordan in the East and from the Jordan south to the borders of Egypt. The other area was part of the Willayat (province) of Beirut. This part was composed of the Sanjak of Balka (Nablus) from Jaffa to Jenin, and the Sanjak of Acre, which extended from Jenin to Naqura. Palestiniaqn Arabs had many important political and military posts under Ottoman rule. The Ottoman Empire was evolving in the late 19th century abd the plitical reforms resulted in a constitution and parliment. There were Arab representatives in the Parliament. In the first Parliament, the President of the Council of the House of Representatives was a Jerusalem Deputy , Yusif Dia Pasha Al Khalidi. The administration of Arab territories was entrusted to elected Administrative Councils. Those Councils were elected and existed in the provinces, districts, and sub-districts. Those Councils were vested with extensive powers in administration, finance, education, and development. The Ottoman Empire was, however, by the 19th century politically unstable. While the Empire was controlled by Turks, they were a minority within the Empire which included large number of Balkan Christians, Armenians, and Arabs. The Young Turks that seized control of the Government were not about to relinquish control to non-Turkish groups. Palestine remained under Ottoman rule until World War I. It is difficut to know the political attitudes of Palestinians to Ottoman rule. It was from the desert tribes, supported by the British, however, that effective resistace to Ottoman rule came after the Ottomans entered the War on the side of the Central Powers.

World War I (1914-18)

The Ottomans after entering the War launched the first Middle Eastern campaign, an effort to take the Suez aCnal. Suez was a vital lifeline of the British Empire. The Germans pressed the Ottomans to attack. The Ottomans thus launched the campaign. The Ottoman campaign was organized by Minister of Marine Djemal Pasha advised by German Chief of Staff Kress von Kressenstein. The Ottomans attacked across the Sinai Peninsula from their base at Beersheba (January 14, 1915). The Ottoman Suez Expeditionary Force consisred of 25,000 men. They sought to strike across Siani and surprise the British and seize the Canal before the British had fully prepared their defenses. The problem for the Ottomans ws there were no roads or rail lines to Suez. They had to move 300 km across the formidable Siani Desert. This proved to be a major impediment, probanly saving the British who were not yet well prepared. As a result, the attack across Sinai failed and the small British force in Egypt repulsed the Ottomans (1915). The British began building up forces in Egypt. They made Egypt into a training ground for the Empire's reserve of Commonwealth and Indian troops. This was delayed by the demands of the Galipoli campaign. The Ottoman forces launched a second attack across the Sinai (August 1916). They were again repulsed, this time at Romani. These two offensives did not result in heavy casualties on either side by the standards of World War I. One aspect of the British-Ottoman fighting in Egypt and Palestine, was an effort to assist the Arabs struggling for independence from the Ottoman Empire. The Arabs at the time of World War I were the largest minority in the Ottoman Empire, largely because the Empire had lost most of its Christian Balkans territory. The Arabs used the War as a way to throw off centuries of Ottoman rule. The result was the Arab Revolt. The British despite a substantial buildup, failed to take the heavily defended Ottoman fort at Gaza (March 1917). Gaza proved to be a tough nut. The British failed again at Gaza (April 1917). This resulted in major changes to the British command. After the two failurea at Gaza, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George recalled Sir Archibald Murray and replaced him with Edmund Allenby, one of the most competent British commandr of the War and nicknaned 'Bloody Bull' (June 1917). He was ordered to capture Jerusalem by Christmas 1917. He was given substabtial reinforcements. Allenby faced the formidable Ottoman line at Gaza-Beersheba, The Ottoman line was capably overseen the German commander Erich von Falkenhayn, the former army Chief of Staff who had earlier orcestrated the Verdun offensive, a pivotal battles of the War. Allenby renewed the offensive into Palestine. The Arab Army, a mobile irregular formation, was a distraction the Ottomans had to deal with. Larence disappered into the vast Arabian desert (Spring 1917). The British heard little from him and then suddently Aqaba fell (July 6). This meant the British could supply the Arab Army with modern weapons. Alenby fought the Third Battle of Gaza and the Battle of Beersheba at the same time (October-November 1917). The British Egyptian Expeditionary Force smashed through the Ottoman lines and finally captured Gaza. The climatic battle for Palestine was fought at Mughar Ridge and Junction Station (November 1917). Jerusalem fell (Decembr 8), two weeks before Allenby's deadline. The final battle of the campaign was fought at Megiddo, the site of a famous ancient battle (September-October 1918). Allenby's masterful handling of his forces is said to have presaged German World War II Blitkrieg tactics. Megiddo broke the back of Ottoman armies in the Levant. The British advanced to Damascus with the Arab Army on its flank. This ended Arab-Allied unity. The Arabs expected independence. The British and French wanted to control the areas liberated from Ottoman rule.

The Levant: Disorder and Fighting (1919-21)

Following the War the future of the Ottoman Arab Lands was in doubt. The Arabs in Palestine appear to have generally accepted British rule. The situation in Syria was more in doubt and a conflict developed between the French and Arab forces -- the Franco-Syrian War. The Egyptian Expeditionary forces of Edmund Allenby after defeating the Ottoman forces in Palistine entered Damascus (September 30, 1918). The Hasemite Dynasty from Saudi-Arabia King Faisal attempted to establish the Arab Kingdom of Syria. Faisal with Allenby's approval announced the establishment of an Arab constitutional government in Damascus (October 5, 1919). Negotiations with French Prime-Minister Clemencau did not go well (January 1920). The Alawite rose up (Juky 1919). The Arabs began attacking French forces throughout Syria. The Arab Syrian Congress met to declare Faisal the king of Syria (March 19, 1920). The Nananu Revolt began in the north (April 1920). The Arab forces were mostly irregulars that had fought the Ottomans with the British aided by local bedouins. The British and French refused to recognize Feisal, The Laeague of Nations called the San Remo Conference (April 1920). Several attacks were launched by the Arab militias. King Faisal not wanting a war with France surrendered (July 14, 1920). A follower Yusuf al-'Azma refused to surrender and with a group of poorly armed irregulars fought the well-armed French Army of the Levant at the Battle of Maysalun (July 24). The border between Syria and Palestine at the time and the fighting spilled over into northern Palistine--the Gaillee. It was there that one of the Arab actions took place at Tel Hai when Arabs militias attempted to seize a small Jewish outpost in the northern Galilee (March 1). Historians consider it to be the beginning of the Arab-Jewish conflict in Palestine. It was first notable action by self defense forces that Jewish settlers had begun to organize.

Mandate Palestine (1922-48)

At the Paris Peace Conference much of the Ottoman Empire was divided into what were refered to as mandated territories. This meant primarily the Arab Lands of the Empire. The Mandates were assigned to the Allied victors of the war (Britain and France). The British and French saw the Mandates as instruments of empire. American President Woodrow Wilson saw it diferently. He thoughht that mandated powers should foster eventual independence. Yhis was at aime that neither Britain and France had given any real thought to giving up their empires and fostering democratic institutions. The only real exception was the prelinary steps toward home rule in India. The British were interested inPalestine interested because of it proximity to the Suez Canal. And having seized it in the war, they were not anxious for the French to have it. They thus decided to ask for a mandate and intended to implement the Jewish national home promised in the Balfour declaration. This was a project that would be supported by the Americans. The Arabs opposed the idea of a Jewish national home. The Arabs saw Palestine as part of the Arab lands and wanted an independent state. Palistinian Arabs felt they were threatened by Zionism and were especially opposed to living within a Jewish state. Neigboring Arabs shared this view. It was one thing to live under Muslim Ottomns or the mightly Christian British, but living under the 'lowly' Jews was seen as an indignity. The idea of a secular state with guaranteed religious rights for all was not a concept that the Arabs could invision. This is because of the political aspcts of the Kiran and Islamic thinking which rquires that Islam be establshed as the preminent state religion.

World War II (1939-45)

The British administered Palestine under a League of Nations trusteeship. The British saw Palestine as a potentially valuable assett in the all important defense of Suez. Tensions built between the arans and Jews stoked by the NAZIs. The arabs led by the Frand Mufti tryd to launch a Krristalnacht anti Jewish rising. The British tried to placate the arabs by limiting Jewish immigration, closing off a refuge for the Jewsfleeing the NAZI Holocaust. Palistine did prove to be an assett in protecting Suez when World war II came. The Arab population was restive, but the British used Palestine as a staging area for operations against pro-NAZI elements in Iraq and Vichy authorities in Syria. Securing Iraq with its important oil resource was vital for the defense of Suez. The rise of Fascism in Europe encouraged many Jews to seek refugee and strengthened the Zionist movement. The British attempted to restrict Jewish immmigration. The expanding Jewish population also resulted in growing anti-Semitism among the Palestinians. This had opposition to British colonial rule caused many Palestinians to sympethize and seek support from the NAZIs.

Arab-Israeli Conflict

After World War II British rule was followed by the the United Nations partition. Israel declared its independence in the area alloted to Jewish rule (1948), The Palestinian Arabs rejected partition and launched a more intense phase of Arab-Isreali conflict began by the Grand Mufii in the 1920s. While Israel was created as an independent nation state for the Jews in Palestine, not country was established for the Palestinian Arabs. This was because the Palestinian Arabs did not accept the U.N. partition and the neighboring Arab countries which invaded were more intent on seizing territory than establishing an independent Palistinian state. Palestinian Arab areas were seized by Jordan and Egypt. The Palistinians continued to see war and violence as the answer to their goals. They finally got what they wanted--a major war waged by the Front Line Arab states equipped with massive amounts of modern Soviet arms. The Six Days War (June 1967) fought before the United States had begun to arm the Israelis. The Six Days War is the semenal event in the Middle East Conflict. Even today the major demand of arab states is to redraw borders based on the pre-1967 frontiers.

Created: 3:31 AM 7/30/2012
Last updated: 12:11 AM 8/31/2017