How did Israel become a country?

From what I understand of the history of Israel, there was no such country prior to WW2.

So how did it come about? From what I have read, the land was previously Palestine. After WW2, it was 'taken' from the Palestinians, and 'given' to the Israelis.

The Israelis actually have no claim over the territory other than the prophecies in the old testament regarding 'the holy land'.

Jews gradually immigrated to the area from the late 1800's in response to these prophecies with an eye to making them true. Prior to WW2, Jews made up about 20% of the population, all of them immigrants to the country.

So I think this is pretty shocking. If my understanding of the subject is incorrect, please correct me. This thread is not meant to be anti-Semitic, but historical.

How did Israel become a country? Before we begin reading Wiesel�s Dawn, you need to do a little research. You need to find out when and how Israel became a sovereign nation. The book takes place in what is now Israel.

Using legitimate sources or databases, find the information. You need to document your writing by including your source. You should then write a 1 � 1.5 page description of how the sovereign nation of Israel came to be. You should also include your reasoned opinion and/or observations of this in your response.

You may want to address the following ideas:

What is the Balfour Declaration? What was its impact on Israel?
Who makes up the freedom fighters in Palestine?
Why did the United Nations become involved?
Why did the United Nations want to establish an Arab and a Jewish homeland?
Is there a need for a religious homeland for Jewish people?
What was the world response to establishing Israel?
When was the first Arab-Israeli war?
Is there anything about the establishment of the nation of Israel that surprised you? If so, then what is it and why did is surprise you?
Do you think that things could have been done differently that might have lessened the conflict between the Palestinians, Arabs and the Israelis?

gc2000.rutgers.edu...

i just know it was known as a nation in 1948. according to biblical prediction that it would. hummmm????? just kinda makes one wonder? anyway, i thought i would post the above which i asked the very same question on google.

There was Jewish population prior to 1800s but it was very very small minority. In 1860s in Europe Zionism movement started , with idea to create national country for Jews, due to all kind of reasons. They tried to make a deal with Ottoman empire that controlled what you refer as Palestine - it was called differently then. It did not succeed. Different ideas were purposed, like country in Uganda and such but met with refusal. All this time there was emigration of Jews to Palestine so their numbers slowly grew. Then during WW1 Palestine was captured by British empire (from Turkey) and Zionists succeeded to get an official document from British government guarantying Jewish national home in Palestine though later British officials claimed that it was not meant to be country for Jews. There was another promise by British given to Arabs but also British later argued that lands promised did not mean all of Palestine, only Jordan and northern areas. Jordan was created as national Arab part of Palestine province.
Since numbers of Jews grew and national movement was pretty strong some of local Arabs that at first were indifferent to it started to resent the idea due to religious reasons and conflict got pretty hot. From 1930s to 1947 both sides attacked each other and British (since both considered that promises were broken). Due to this and due to international pressure and criticism British turned to UN and UN voted to create two other countries in the territory of province of Palestine , one Jewish and one Arab. Arab leaders refused to accept this plan and official war broke out in 1948 after Israel declared Independence. Both sides were pretty barbaric, but since Jews gained more territory (beyond 1948 plan) lot of Arabs that now were on Jewish controlled territory were thrown out or fled. Parts of what was supposed to be second Arab country in Palestine now were in Israel, Jordan and Egypt. Hope it helps.

The Land of Israel, known in Hebrew as Eretz Yisrael, has been sacred to the Jewish people since Biblical times. Around the 11th century BCE, the first of a series of Israelite kingdoms and states established rule over the region; these Israelite kingdoms and states ruled intermittently for the following one thousand years. The sites holiest to Judaism are located within Israel.

en.wikipedia.org...

According to the CIA and other Intelligence Services (European, Asian, African) the tally - based on a Combination of Manpower, Technology, Firepower, Training, Resources, Available Reserves, and Nuclear Potential (Current or Likely) puts the Israeli military in the top ten strongest armies in the world.


Added source and trimmed quote

[edit on 21-1-2009 by dbates]

reply to post by ZeroKnowledge


Very informative, though it would be more legible if you used paragraphs.

So from what I'm reading here, though the history of 'Palestine' is complicated, the modern Israelis are predominately immigrants to the area, and their claim to the area is justified by prophecy.

Still, Jews have obviously lived in the region for a long long time. Were they ever a large group there compared to the Arab population? What were their numbers there prior to their intentional immigration? Have their numbers fluctuated? How did the ancient community of Jews in the area compare to the Arab community?

Originally posted by rizla
From what I have read, the land was previously Palestine. After WW2, it was 'taken' from the Palestinians, and 'given' to the Israelis.

There has never been an independent nation called Palestine. And, before WW2, there hadn't been an independent Israel since before Roman times.

Following WW1 and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, "Palestine" was the name given to what is now Israel, Gaza, the West Bank and Jordan. Great Britain then partitioned it into "Palestine" and "Trans-Jordan". Trans-Jordan (now Jordan) was so named as it was the part of the mandate that lay to the east of the Jordan River.

Israel was a country. Where do you think Jesus came from?

Imperialists took over the country and slowly the Jewish population was either deported or they left voluntarily.

I don't think that this should be grounds to establish a new Israel on other peoples land. But Israel has been of great importance to the world.

Basically, like really basically..

Palestine and its neighbooring countries were part of the Ottoman empire.. The british broke it up into colonies and gave part of it to the Zionist jews..

The british government was -and still is, like many countries- infiltrated by the Zionists and they wanted to get a homeland for themselves cause they were really sick of how they were treated in Europe, and hey, it wasn't hard to advertise for the new land and call the jews of the world to "satisfy the biblical prophecy of building the third temple and the coming of the messiah"..

It's as simple as that, a land stolen by thieves and conspirers!

Just take a look at the current state of Israel, as a country, as a people, as a culture, etc, etc.. DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT EVEN BELONGS TO THAT REGION OF THE PLANET?!

It's an artificial country, and this is the reason why it will not survive..

Just out of curiousity, what country is NOT artificial?

Originally posted by SonOfChaos
Just out of curiousity, what country is NOT artificial?

Like it SOC! Exactly. All religions and cultures are learned behaviors or ideals. There is 1 human race, There is no Jewish race, but there are learned cultures. All nationalism and religions are just indoctrination from birth.

Originally posted by SonOfChaos
Just out of curiousity, what country is NOT artificial?

I can see how empires shrink and expand, but they always have a logical story of how they ended up where they are now..

I don't see the Persians claiming a land around japan,

I don't see Somalis claiming a land in Europe,

But I see a group of people with no relation among them but a certain belief claiming that they own the land..

Modern day Israel (the artificial country) is made up of people from all over the world who have no actual roots to the land itself (OR TO ANY NEARBY LANDS).. Russians, French, English, American, Polish, Irish, etc..

It's like a really weird cocktail that messes up your stomach..

Modern day Israel (the artificial country) is made up of people from all over the world who have no actual roots to the land itself (OR TO ANY NEARBY LANDS).. Russians, French, English, American, Polish, Irish, etc..

Kinda like the US!

Originally posted by SonOfChaos

Modern day Israel (the artificial country) is made up of people from all over the world who have no actual roots to the land itself (OR TO ANY NEARBY LANDS).. Russians, French, English, American, Polish, Irish, etc..

Kinda like the US!

The US isn't any better, didn't they kill all red indians and create an artificial country over a land they had no roots to?

Ethnic cleansing at it's best!

Did you see how tom cruise is disgusted of himself in "the last samurai"?

reply to post by rizla
How did Israel become a country? A group of people decided through convention that they wanted to rule a piece of land and make it independent. You know, just like the settlers in the Americas wanted to create their own country they named the USA. Likewise they took up arms and fought for what they believed in. Israel like the USA is a settler state, they were both created by immigrants throwing out the British then taking out the natives. Nothing different here, this is how national states emerge, they fight for independent survival and land.

Originally posted by ufoorbhunter
reply to post by rizla

 

How did Israel become a country? A group of people decided through convention that they wanted to rule a piece of land and make it independent. You know, just like the settlers in the Americas wanted to create their own country they named the USA. Likewise they took up arms and fought for what they believed in. Israel like the USA is a settler state, they were both created by immigrants throwing out the British then taking out the natives. Nothing different here, this is how national states emerge, they fight for independent survival and land.

I don't agree with your comments.

North America was invaded by the British who wiped out the existing population. Then the Americans wiped out the Indians west of the Misisipi after independence. That was genocide. Are you suggesting Jews are committing genocide against Arabs?

Back to the point, what I don't understand is what is the link between the ancient Jewish settlement of the old Testament, and the Jews of today. Are they related? Have Jews lived their since Biblical times? Or has the Jewish population been interrupted? Fluctuated in size etc?

I'm more confused than ever.

Originally posted by rizla
reply to post by rizla

 

Back to the point, what I don't understand is what is the link between the ancient Jewish settlement of the old Testament, and the Jews of today. Are they related? Have Jews lived their since Biblical times? Or has the Jewish population been interrupted? Fluctuated in size etc?

I'm more confused than ever.

There were jews in the land of what is now known as "palestine", just as there were Christians and Muslims too.. All living in peace and harmony, with mosques, churches, and jewish synagogues..

The jews who were originally there actually had blood lines tracing back to the Yemenites and Hebrews.. They were very few at the times of the ottoman empire just like Muslims were very few at the times of the dominance of the knights templars.. The population of Jews, Christians, and Muslims fluctuated over time according to the dominance of the opposing religion authority..

Before the British broke up that area (Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and part of Sini), there were still jews (belonging to the land itself, just like Muslims and Christians), christians, and muslims living together under the ottoman rule.. When the british broke up that area and gave names to these segments of land (Palestine, Jordan, etc..) and brought foriegner Zionist Jews to that land, this is where the problem started..

Neither the Jews, nor the Christians, nor the Muslims were happy with what was happening.. Imagine the situation of a genetically related population who spoke the same language (Jews spoke Hebrew and Arabic, Christians and Muslims spoke Arabic) watching thousands upon thousands of immigrants SHIPPED BY SEA to their land and making their own settlements, creating their own army, their own economy, and raising their own flag! Those immigrants not only looked different from the original population in that area, but they looked from each other too!! Not only that, but they even spoke spoke different languages, came from different countries, and had no relation to each other but being "Jewish" and "claiming that GOD GAVE THEM THIS LAND"!!

Those settlers were backed by the Zionists controlling the major countries (England, USA, France, etc..), the settlements are still expanding while driving out the original population! Millions and millions of the original population still live in camps under the most inhumane circumstances, these camps were attacked numerous times too by Israel creating the most horrific massacres humanity has ever witnessed.. Look up "Sabra and Shatila), just as an example..

Until this moment, what is now known as the state of Israel HAS NOT DECLARED ANY BORDERS, HAS NOT GIVEN PALESTINIANS IN CAMPS THEIR RIGHT OF RETURN, HAS NOT CONSIDERED ANY OF THE UN RESOLUTIONS, HAS NOT CONSIDERED THE DECISIONS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL, HAS NOT STOPPED EXPANDING, HAS NOT SIGNED THE ANTI-NUCLEAR AGREEMENT (nuclear countries have at least signed the agreement but still break it, Israel is the only country in the world which SHAMELESSLY REFUSES TO SIGN IT)..

In the mind of Zionists, Israel is the land "from the Nile to the Euphratus"..
This means, Israel plans to take over:
Egypt
The rest of Palestine
Lebanon
Jordan
Syria
and Iraq..

Good luck to them maintaining a falling state, let alone conquering the countries they dream of..

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How did Israel become a country?

This one's easy. Through lies, thieft and murder.

reply to post by rizla


Didn't the foreign Jewish immigrants coming into what was to become Israel after WWII purchase land from the Arab landowners to farm and build their houses? Weren't those purchases fair? And if so how do the so called Palistinians have a claim to the lands they sold?

Just wondering as I always thought if you buy it you own it.

Originally posted by plumranch
reply to post by rizla

 

Didn't the foreign Jewish immigrants coming into what was to become Israel after WWII purchase land from the Arab landowners to farm and build their houses? Weren't those purchases fair? And if so how do the so called Palistinians have a claim to the lands they sold?

Just wondering as I always thought if you buy it you own it.

The Jews didn't puchase the land or buildings. They forced the people living in them out. I know this because that is how my grand parents and my uncles and aunties lost their family home in Palestine. The was no exchange of title, no money, no componsation, nothing. It was get out or die. They left with nothing and became refugees along with about 700,000 other Palestinians.


Here's an overview. Do some reading
en.wikipedia.org...


[edit on 24-1-2009 by Obliterated]

Millions and millions of the original population still live in camps under the most inhumane circumstances, these camps were attacked numerous times too by Israel creating the most horrific massacres humanity has ever witnessed.. Look up "Sabra and Shatila), just as an example..

In the mind of Zionists, Israel is the land "from the Nile to the Euphratus"..
This means, Israel plans to take over:
Egypt
The rest of Palestine
Lebanon
Jordan
Syria
and Iraq..

First of all, the most horrific massacres of humanity was NOT at Sabra and Shatila. That is just a bunch of bull. There are only esitimates, but they only range from the hundres to the thousands. Seriously, think about the Great Purges by stalin, in which killed millions in iself. Think of the Holocaust. Excuse me, 6 million jews and 5 million gypsies and other "unwanted peoples" were exterminated in a course of 8 years.

"Palestine" the most famous country the doesnt exist has recieved the most foreign aid per capita than any other nation. And yet, where does it all go? Why are they people still living in such unhumane conditions? Well, lets see, after the the recent attacks on Gaza, Hamas, the terrorist organization bent on the destruction of israel, seized 100 trucks of food, medical supplies, and baisic necessities. The aid was given from Israel.

"In the mind of Zionists," that brings the question, are you yourself a Zionist? If not, how did you come up with that absurd statement? Also, Israel is NOT expanding its borders at the moment. They actually falling back, they gave up the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Jews fought for that land, and yes they did displace a people group, but they have held that land for more than half a century.