It was in the year 1948 that Israel was declared an independent state officially. However, the nation has always been in conflict with Palestine, both before and after independence.
It was the head of the Jewish Agency, David Ben Gurion, who proclaimed the setup of the State of Israel on 14 May 1948. On November 29, 1947, the United Nations voted to divide the British Mandate Palestine into two distinct Arab and Jewish states. However, the Arab states were not in view of affirming the move. The conflict of interest thus led to a war with Israel after the State’s creation.
The war went on for eight long months. During these challenging times, Israel expanded its territory that was conferred to it by the United Nations when over 760,000 Palestinians and more fled. The West Bank, along with the east Jerusalem was occupied by the Jordan, while the coastal Gaza Strip was taken by Egypt.
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How was Israel before 1948?
The year 1948 is an important one in the history of Israel as it was in this year that the nation was created. The history of Israel, however, is as old as the early Iron Age.
The Hebrew Bible expresses the origins of Israel, as said by scholars. This means that the origin of Israel can be from the time of Abraham, who is seen as the father of both Islam and Judaism.
The term Israel is derived from Jacob, Abraham’s grandson. The Hebrew God renamed Jacob as “Israel” in the Bible.
The descendants of Abraham, as per belief, were enslaved by Egyptians for years and years prior to getting settled in Canaan.
Canaan is actually an area that is approximately the region of Israel at present.
As per several historians, it was King David who ruled the region around 1000 BC. It is further said by historians that his son, King Solomon, was the one who constructed the very first holy temple in Jerusalem.
Many records also show the setup of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel after the region was split into two kingdoms in approximately 931 BC.
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The Israeli region
The northern kingdom of Israel was invaded and destroyed by Assyrians in about 722 BC. Jerusalem, on the other hand, was conquered by Babylonians. The first temple was destroyed in 568 BC. However, the second temple came up in around 516 BC.
Then came a myriad of groups to seize and rule the present-day land of Israel. These groups are Greeks, Arabs, Romans, Fatimids, Egyptians, Persians, Seljuk Turks, Islamists, Crusaders, Mamelukes, and more.
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The fall of the Ottoman Empire
The present-day Israel was ruled from the year 1517 to 1917 by the Ottoman Empire. The Empire also conquered and ruled over a great portion of West Asia.
However, in the year 1918, the Ottoman Empire fell. Next was the end of the First World War, and both these events changed the destiny of West Asia’s geopolitical landscape.
Arthur James Balfour, the then British Foreign Secretary sent a letter of intent in the year 1917 showing support for the setup of a Jewish homeland.
With the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the control of the region was taken over by Great Britain, and took control over Palestine. It was in the year 1947 then that Israel became an independent state.
Tensions between Arab Muslims and Jews
Some conflicts stemming from history do not easily get resolved. In fact, sometimes, this hatred continues to grow. The Jews and Arab Muslims share tough relations from history, and this roughness in their ties still persists. As per historians, one thing that is common with both groups is that as both groups have populated the region for eons, both consider it a holy place.
The holy city of Jerusalem is deemed to be holy by both Jews and Muslims. The area has a Temple Mount, in which are sacred monuments such as the Dome of the Rock, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Western Wall.
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Source: tiengtrunghaato.edu.vn