December 20, 2016 • 5hr 36min
#6 - Fear & Loathing in the New Jerusalem - Never Again
The Martyr Made Podcast
Key Takeaways
- The episode covers the final stages of early Zionism and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948
- It details the increasing violence and terrorism by Zionist groups against British forces and Palestinian Arabs in the 1940s
- Key figures discussed include David Ben-Gurion, Menachem Begin, and Chaim Weizmann
- The episode describes the mass exodus and ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs
- It highlights the transformation of Zionism from an idealistic movement to one that used violence to achieve its goals
- The aftermath and ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict is briefly touched on at the end
Introduction
This episode covers the final stages of early Zionism and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. It picks up where the previous episode left off, with tensions rising between Zionist groups, Palestinian Arabs, and British forces in Palestine in the 1940s. The episode details the increasing use of violence and terrorism by Zionist militant groups like the Irgun and Lehi against British targets and Palestinian civilians. It culminates with the UN partition plan, the British withdrawal, and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War that led to Israel's independence and the mass exodus of Palestinian Arabs.
Topics Discussed
Rise of Zionist Militancy (0:05:00)
The episode begins by discussing the rise of militant Zionist groups in the 1940s, particularly the Irgun led by Menachem Begin and the Lehi (Stern Gang). These groups engaged in increasing acts of violence and terrorism against British forces in Palestine, including:
- Bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in 1946, killing 91 people
- Letter bomb campaign targeting British officials
- Assassination of Lord Moyne, the British Minister Resident in the Middle East
The narrator explains that these militant groups believed violence was necessary to force the British out and establish a Jewish state. This put them at odds with more moderate Zionist leaders like David Ben-Gurion.
UN Partition Plan (0:30:00)
As violence escalated, the British decided to turn the issue of Palestine over to the newly formed United Nations in 1947. The UN Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) was formed to study the situation and make recommendations. Key points about the partition plan include:
- It recommended dividing Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states
- Jerusalem would be placed under international control
- The plan gave 56% of the land to the proposed Jewish state, despite Jews only owning about 7% of the land at the time
- Zionist leaders accepted the plan, while Arab leaders rejected it
- The plan passed the UN General Assembly in November 1947
The narrator describes how Zionist leaders lobbied heavily for the plan, while Arab representatives felt the UN had no right to partition their land.
Civil War and Ethnic Cleansing (1:00:00)
After the partition plan passed, violence between Jews and Arabs in Palestine escalated into civil war. The episode details how Zionist forces, now better organized and armed, began systematically driving out Palestinian Arabs from territories allotted to the Jewish state and beyond. Key events include:
- The Deir Yassin massacre in April 1948, where over 100 Palestinian villagers were killed
- Operations to capture cities like Haifa, Jaffa, and Acre, causing mass Arab exodus
- The expulsion of 50,000-70,000 Arabs from Lydda and Ramle in July 1948
The narrator emphasizes that these operations were part of a deliberate strategy (Plan Dalet) to remove the Arab population. By the war's end, around 700,000-800,000 Palestinians had fled or been expelled.
Israeli Independence and 1948 War (1:30:00)
The episode covers the declaration of Israeli independence in May 1948 and the subsequent invasion by neighboring Arab states. Key points include:
- David Ben-Gurion declared Israeli independence on May 14, 1948
- Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq invaded the next day
- Despite initial Arab advances, Israeli forces eventually gained the upper hand
- By the war's end, Israel controlled 78% of Mandatory Palestine
- The remaining Palestinian territories (West Bank and Gaza) came under Jordanian and Egyptian control
The narrator argues that the Arab invasion was half-hearted and disorganized, contrary to later Israeli narratives of facing overwhelming odds.
Aftermath and Ongoing Conflict (2:00:00)
The episode concludes by briefly touching on the aftermath of Israeli independence and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Key points include:
- Israel refused to allow Palestinian refugees to return to their homes
- Hundreds of Palestinian villages were destroyed to prevent return
- The conflict remains unresolved, with millions of Palestinians still living as refugees
- Israel has maintained military occupation of the West Bank since 1967
- Peace efforts have failed to resolve core issues like borders, refugees, and Jerusalem
The narrator argues that the events of 1948 created an intractable situation that continues to fuel conflict today.
Conclusion
The episode provides a detailed account of the crucial period leading up to Israeli independence in 1948. It highlights how Zionist groups used increasing violence and terrorism to pressure the British to leave Palestine. The narrator emphasizes that the establishment of Israel came at a tremendous cost to the indigenous Palestinian Arab population, with hundreds of thousands expelled from their homes. The episode concludes that these events created an unresolved conflict that continues to this day, with both Israelis and Palestinians claiming rights to the same land. The narrator suggests that any solution will require acknowledging the historical injustices on both sides.