israel: a house divided. 1947: un votes to partition palestine into jewish and arab sectors
TRANSCRIPT
Original Israeli Boundaries
Previous Palestinian Lands
Lands Taken From Neighboring Nations
Occupied Territory
• 12% left as a result of expulsion by Jewish forces
• 59% because of direct military assault
• 15% because of fear of imminent attack
• Accusations of massacres
• “Whispering Campaigns”
Palestinian Exodus
• 4,942,121 dispossessed Palestinians
• Over 1 million in refugee camps
• Acquired lands largely unused (78% of Jews live in only 15% of land)
• Israeli attempts at agriculture failed
Israeli Position
• Refugees cannot return to a country of which they are not a citizen
• Palestinian land cannot be well defined• Jewish citizens would be uprooted• Returning Palestinians would present a security
problem• Palestinians left on Arab orders• Israel claims right of occupation and legitimizes it
because it was attacked
The Old City
• Haram al Sharif on Mt. Moriah
• Jewish expansions in the Old City
• Extremists determined to “redeem” the city
• Terrorist attacks on the Haram
• Government turning a “blind eye” to agitators
Peace?
• Both Israel and Palestine need moderate, rational leadership
• Israel must make some concession for Palestinian refugees to return to their lands
• Occupied territories must be given either citizenship or independence. Free elections must be held.
• Israel must cease attempts to destroy the Haram al Sharif
• U.S. and Britain withdraw military support from Israel