Palestinian & Israeli Sources on the
Creation of the State of Israel (1948)
Balfour Declaration (Nov. 2, 1917)
“Dear Lord Rothschild,
“I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government,the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which hasbeen submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.
“His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of anational home for the Jewish People, and will use their best endeavors to facilitatethe achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall bedone which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewishcommunities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in anyother country.
“I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of theZionist Federation.
Yours sincerely,
Arthur James Balfour”
British Mandate in Palestine, 1920
The Mideast: A Century of Conflict (NPR)
Excerpt from the Pact of the League of ArabStates (March 22, 1945)
“At the end of the last Great War, Palestine, together with the other Arab States, wasseparated from the Ottoman Empire. She became independent, not belonging toany other State….
“Even though Palestine was not able to control her own destiny, it was on the basisof the recognition of her independence that the Covenant of the League of Nationsdetermined a system of government for her.
“Her existence and her independence among the nations can, therefore, no more bequestioned de jure than the independence of any of the other Arab States….
“Therefore, the States signatory to the Pact of the Arab League consider that in viewof Palestine’s special circumstances, the Council of the League should designate anArab delegate from Palestine to participate in its work until this country enjoysactual independence.”
Excerpt from UN Resolution 181 (Nov. 29, 1947)
“The Mandate for Palestine shall terminate as soon as possiblebut in any case not later than 1 August 1948….
“Independent Arab and Jewish States and the SpecialInternational Regime for the City of Jerusalem . . . shall come intoexistence in Palestine two months after the evacuation of thearmed forces of the mandatory Power [United Kingdom] has beencompleted but in any case not later than 1 October 1948. Theboundaries of the Arab State, the Jewish State, and the City ofJerusalem shall be described in Parts II and III below.”
UN Partition Plan – 1947UN Resolution 181
The Mideast: A Century of Conflict (NPR)
Excerpt from the Declaration of Israel’sIndependence (May 14, 1948)
“In the year 5657 (1897), at the summons of the spiritual father of the Jewish State,Theodore Herzl, the First Zionist Congress convened and proclaimed the right of theJewish people to national rebirth in its own country.
“This right was recognized in the Balfour Declaration . . . .
“Survivors of the Nazi Holocaust in Europe, as well as Jews from other parts of theworld, continued to migrate to Eretz-Israel, undaunted by difficulties, restrictions anddangers, and never ceased to assert their right to a life of dignity, freedom and honesttoil in their national homeland. . . .
“On the 29th of November, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed aresolution calling for the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz-Israel; the GeneralAssembly required the inhabitants of Eretz-Israel to take such steps as were necessaryon their part for the implementation of that resolution. This recognition by the UnitedNations of the right of the Jewish People to establish their State is irrevocable.
“This right is the natural right of the Jewish people to be masters oftheir own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign State.
“ACCORDINGLY WE, MEMBERS OF THE PEOPLE’S COUNCIL,REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ERETZ-ISRAELAND OF THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT, ARE HERE ASSEMBLED ON THEDAY OF THE TERMINATION OF THE BRITISH MANDATE OVERERETZ-ISRAEL AND, BY VIRTUE OF OUR NATURAL AND HISTORICRIGHT AND ON THE STRENGTH OF THE RESOLUTION OF THEUNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HEREBY DECLARE THEESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE IN ERETZ-ISRAEL, TO BEKNOWN AS THE STATE OF ISRAEL.”
Left: UN PartitionPlan according toResolution 181 (1947)
Right: Boundaries ofthe State of Israel(1949-1967)
The Mideast: A Century ofConflict (NPR)
Assignment:
Read the excerpt from “Learning Each Other’s Historical Narratives:Palestinians and Israelis,” according to the parameters below. Takenotes in the lines located between each narrative. You will be readingdescriptions of the conflicts in Palestine after the creation of the stateof Israel. Be prepared to discuss your narrative at the start of class onThursday, May 12.
Red Cards = Israeli Narrative (on the left)
Black Cards = Palestinian Narrative (on the right)