Figure 1.--Here we see Jewish girls in Jerusalem preparing defensive positions as violence increased around them. The press caption read, "Sandbags for defense works are filled by Jewish girls in the Montefiore quarter of Jerusalem in Feb. 1948. The girls belong to the few Jewish families still remaining in the section with members of the Haganah, Defense Organization. This section has been under constant attack by Arab snipers from the Old City during Arab-Jewish conflict after United Nations decision to partition Palestine." The phootograph was dated 01/02/1948. We think that means January 2, but it could mean Fevruary 1.

The response to U.N. Resolution 181 partitioning Palestine was an increase in the violence that that racked the British mandate since the end of World War II (1945). And the response was very different among the Jewish an Arab communities. Most Jews were overjoyed with the U.N. vote. Partition mean that a Jewish state was possible. It was not a a very close vote, thanks largely to the United States. merivan support made partition possible, but there was no U.S. Government support for either the Jews are Arabs in Plestine. While not all Jews were delighted, the vast majority of Jews in Palestine and around the world greeted the news enthusiastically. Jews assembled in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to celebrate the U.N. resolution. This went on all night into the wee hours. Roaring bonfires were lit at kibutzes throughout Palestine. Several cafes in Tel Aviv reportedly served free champagne. One historian writes, "The night of 29–30 November passed in the Yishuv’s settlements in noisy public rejoicing. Most had sat glued to their radio sets broadcasting live from Flushing Meadow. A collective cry of joy went up when the two-thirds mark was achieved: a state had been sanctioned by the international community." [Morris, p.75.] Mainstream Zionist leaders reacted soberly understanding the realities the Jews in Palestine faced. There were references to the 'heavy responsibility' of building a Jewish State, two millenia after the Romans expelled the Jews from Palestine. Some offered to working towards a peaceful coexistence with the region's other communities. Jewish groips in America which after the Holocaust had the largest Jewish community in the world were also entusiastic with the United Nations action. Few believed, however, that the U.N. partition vote settled the Palestinian problem. Revisionist Zionists rejected the U.N. partition plan as larger areas were left in Arab hands. ['Jewish units ...'] The Irgun Tsvai Leumi, led by Menachem Begin, and the Lehi (Stern Group or Gang) the two Revisionist-groups with armed underground fighters reject the U.N. plan. The Arabs rejected Resolution 181. This was understandable. They were a majority in Palestine and without partition, they would control any government after the British departed. Their rejection, however, essentially is the cause of today's Isreali-Palestinian conflict today and the Palestinian refugee problem. Partition was unacceptable to either the Palestinians or the neighboring Arab states. The Arabs threaten to invade if the Jews moved to establish a Jewish state and threatened to drive the Jews into the sea. Arab leaders threatened blood would flow. There was not the slightest doubt among most Arab leaders that they had the capability of irdicating any Jewish state. Azzam Pasha, the General Secretary of the Arab League told an Egyptian newspaper, "Personally I hope the Jews do not force us into this war because it will be a war of elimination and it will be a dangerous massacre which history will record similarly to the Mongol massacre or the wars of the Crusades." [Akhbar el-Yom.] Pasha also told Alec Kirkbride: "We will sweep them [the Jews] into the sea". Syrian president, Shukri al-Quwatli, assured the Syrian people, "We shall eradicate Zionism". [Morris, p. 187.] Egyptian King, Farouk assured the American Ambassador in his country that in the long run the Arabs would decisively defeat the Jews and drive them out of Palestine. [Morris, p. 410.] The frontline Arab states did not invade after the partition vote. They made it clear, however, that they would invade if the Jews declared independence. But attacks began by irregulr forces. Armed irregulars, both Palestinian and other Arabs, immediately began to attack Jewish communities. The Arab Higher Committee declared a 3-day general strike in Palestinen the following day. This proved to be the beginning of the violence. [Norris, pp. 76-77.] Low level attacks comtinued as the British withdrawl from Palestine approached. These were mostly Arab attacks on Jews. The attacks largely occured in areas where were small Lewish populations in heavily Arab areas. Attacks also occurred from Arab villages astride roads connecting Jewish areas. The Mufti was intent on heading the envisioned Arab state". [Cohen, p. 236.]

Violence

The response to U.N. Resolution 181 partitioning Palestine was an increase in the violence that had racked the British mandate since the end of World War II (1945). Sniping and mall unit attacks increased as did bombing. The violence seems more associated with Arab opposition to the U.N. partition and the Jewish defensive actions, but as with virtually everything associated with this issue, the Arabs and Jews have different views. The six Arab nations in the General Assembly staged a walkout in protest to the vote. The New York Times reported after the vote, “The walkout of the Arab delegates was taken as a clear indication that the Palestinian Arabs would have nothing to do with the Assembly’s decision. The British have emphasized repeatedly that British troops could not be used to impose a settlement not acceptable to both Jews and Arabs, and the partition plan does not provide outside military force to keep order. Instead, it provides for the establishment of armed militia by the two nascent states to keep internal order.” The British with an armed force had been able to keep the two sides at bay nd prevent them from acquiring weapons, at least heavy weapons. Here the arabs hd a huge avntage, borders with Lebnon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt all of which had no problem with supplying arms to Arab irregulars. The Jews on the other hand had only the sea to obtain weapons, and the Royal Navy made this very difficult. As the British began withdrawing their forces, it was inevitale that the communal violence would increase. As the British troops left, thousands of Palestinian Arabs were expelled or fled. Many Jews also withdrew into Jewish designated areas by the U.N. partition plan. There is an ongoing historical debate as to whether the Palistians fled or were expelled. Three is no doubt that both occurred. Just to what extent the Palistinians were expelled is probably a question that is lost to history. There undoubtedly were atrocities, but these were committed on both sides. We find it a little difficult to believe that the poorly armed Jewish militias could have forced out so many Palistinians given that Palistinian irregular forces were also armed. Also radio broadcasts from the Front Line Arab states encouraged Palistinians Arabs to flee so that their armies could better attack Jewish forces without the fear of civilian casualties. Gen. Nasser himself broadcast warnings to regional Palestinian Arabs to evacuate so that the invading Arab armies could 'drive the Jews into the sea.' Much of the Palistianian movement occurred after Israel dclared independence (May 4, 1948). Agin this seems strange that with well armed Arab armies entering Palestine that the Palestinian civilians could have been expelled in such numbers. We do not mean to suggest that no Palistinian Arabswere expelled. It certainly occurred. We simply believed that wht occurred after the U.N. Partition vote was vilence on both sides and th movement of the Palistinias is a much more complicated matter than sugested by most Arab sources.

Community Response

The response to the U.N. partition vote was very different among the Jewish an Arab communities. The Jews were generally delighted, although there were some critics. The Arabs uniformally were enraged. The Britis had asked the Uited Nations to craft a sollution to the conflict and a furture for an indepndent Palestine. The General Assembly did just that with the Partition Plan. The result was an escaltion of violence as para-milutary groups on both sides prepared for partition which in the case of the Arabs meant war. The Jews akso prepared for war knowing what the Arabs were planning. In the meantime violence of all kinds escalated. There was low level violence like sniping, biut also inter-communl violence and bombing. Sorting out just what hppend is duffucultvas each side blames the other. The violence resulted in population movemnts. Jews in the Arab designated areas mobed to the Jewish designated areas. Arabs akso mived nd heir is a great debate as to weher they fled or were expelled. Some of both occurred. This occurred both before and after Israel declared independence. A factor here is that because of the war that the Arabs launched to destroy the Jewish state they lost a substantial part of the territory that the U.N. partition plan had designated for the Arabs. This was a factor motivating many Arabs to move. In addition. Arab leaders ordrig their armies into Palestine instructed Arabs to flee so that their armies 'could drive the Jews into the sea'. Some how Arabs clearly adopting a policy of ethnic cleansing suddenly saw ethnic cleansing as a great evil when their armies failed and it was the Arabs that were impacted.

Sources

Cohen, Hillel. Army of Shadows: Palestinian Collaboration with Zionism, 1917-1948 (University of California Press: 2008).

Morris, Benny. 1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War (Yale University Press: 2008).

"Jewish units here hail action by the U.N." New York Times (November 30, 1947).

Akhbar el-Yom (October 11, 2011), p. 9.

Created: 7:00 AM 11/3/2017
Last updated: 10:59 AM 11/3/2017