A Lesson for Today from Israel’s First War

A Lesson for Today from Israel’s First War

Instead of acknowledging Jewish right to sovereignty and accepting the British Mandate for Palestine, Arabs in the area escalated their violence against the Jewish communities of Palestine. There was a general Arab strike throughout the region, and groups of Arabs attacked Jewish towns, Jewish sections of cities, and civilians on buses. An arms embargo was imposed upon Palestine by Great Britain and the United States; however, Great Britain continued to supply weapons to Iraq and Transjordan and thereby access to arms for Arab forces.

An Arab army moved into the land of Israel from Lebanon and many Arabs began to flee cities and towns. There was a public call for the Arabs of the Holy Land to make way for the conquering Arab armies, with the reassurance that Arabs would be able to return to their homes once the Jewish people were defeated. The Jewish leadership pleaded with many of their Arab neighbors to stay, hoping for peace between the two peoples and the building of a tolerant society.

The British Mandate for Palestine ended on May 14, 1948. That same day, despite increasing acts of violence and aggression against them by the Arab world, the Jews of the Land declared the creation of the third Jewish Commonwealth of Israel – a sovereign, Jewish and democratic state.

Jews the world over rejoiced, but the celebrations were short-lived, as the Syrian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Lebanese, and Iraqi armies invaded Israel that same day.