The Formation of Israel - Essay Example

Introduction Source: Benvenisti, M. (2002 Sacred Landscape. of California Press, Israel was established as the first Jewish nearly 2000 years ago and it was proclaimed as a state in 1948 at tel Aviv. Israel was declared as a state following the withdrawal of the British troops and it was very catastrophic for the Palestinians and the minority communities in Israel such as the Bedouins as well as the Christians. Earlier on in the same year the Arab and also the British armies had staged some attacks on the territory which was held by the other side. However the Jewish forces were being backed up by other militant groups managed to seize the areas which had been allotted to the Jewish state. They also managed to conquer other substantial territories which had been allocated to the Palestinians. The minority groups were highly affected by the wars which were going on and some of them lost their lives as well as their cultural identities. The Jewish armies became victorious and they conquered most of the areas in that region. However Israel was invaded by five Arab armies soon after its declaration but it was very prepared and thus it succeeded in crushing the pockets of the resistance. (Israel Ministry of foreign affairs 2006) Source: Benvenisti, M. (2002): Sacred Landscape. University of California Press, The formation of Israel Israel is a country which is located in the south western part of Asia and in the northern part it is bounded by the country of Lebanon and also Syria and Jordan borders the country in the east. Israel is also bordered by the Gulf of Aqaba and Egypt as well as the Mediterranean Sea borders it on the western part. Many of the Jewish populants in Palestine started several revolts against the roman occupation of the area on the Gaza strip and also the west bank. However most of then were killed and the rest of them were dispersed to various parts of the Diaspora. The Palestinians were also Hellenized such that many churches were built around the sites which were holy to the Christians after Christianity was adapted as the official Roman Empire religion in the 14th century. After the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century the Palestinians still remained under the ruler ship of the eastern roman until the capture of the city of Jerusalem by the Persians in the year 614. A conquest of the entire area buy the Muslim Arabs followed. This was then followed by several European crusades in an attempt to recover the holy land as referred to by the Christians from the Muslims. (Israel Ministry of foreign affairs 2006) The initial crusade was however very successful as it captured the city of Jerusalem and also in the establishment of a Christian kingdom which lasted a whole century before it fell to the Egyptian sultans. Later on, Palestine was captured by the Turks from ottoman and it then became a part of the Ottoman Empire for a period of four centuries. (Aloni 2001) There was an emergence of the Zionist movement and it was advocating for the re-establishment of the homeland for the Jews in Palestine which also served as a refuge for the Jews who were prosecuted in Europe. The first Zionist congress was then organized in Basel and it publicized the Jewish claims to Palestine where a large number of the Jews had begun settling. During the First World War turkey was at war with France and Britain thus plans were made on the division of the Ottoman Empire where Palestine was to be on the British territory. So at to encourage the Jewish support on the war a leading Zionist from Britain established a Balfour declaration which stated that the government of Britain was in favor of the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people. Palestine was placed under the British administration on a mandate from the League of Nations. (Israel Ministry of foreign affairs 2006) However the Jews continued to migrate and conflict sprout with the resident Arabs and this further led to communal violence that was very severe in the environs of Jerusalem. The Jews protested against the restriction of their migration and there was also a culmination of the Arabs discontentment. This further led to the 1937 peel report that was recommending the partitioning of the Palestinian territory between the Arabs and the Jews. This initiative was rejected by the Arabs but it was well accepted by the Jews and this further led to the ensuing of the fights. The Nazi holocaust in Europe which saw the killings of over six million Jews further aggravated the violence where the British forces were attacked and Britain surrendered its mandate to the United Nations in 1947 and it voted for the partitioning of the Palestinian territory. However virtual war broke up and before the due date of the British mandate Israel was proclaimed as a state. (Aloni 2001) The experiences of the minority populations of the region before the formation of Israel Scattered settlements The Arab Israeli war that took place in 1948 is what brought independence to the state of Israel but on the other hand it was very catastrophic for the Palestinians. This war further marked a very successful establishment of Israel as a state and there was a very enormous exodus of hundred of thousands of people including the minority communities from their former territories to the newly created state of Israel. Before Israel was formed the minority communities were scattered in several territories and they were free to carry on with their nomadic lives. For instance the Bedouin Arabs in Israel belong to some tribes but a majority of them were scattered over a very wide area in the south after the formation of the state of Israel. They are known as the nomadic shepherds and they had lived their nomadic lives well before the formation of Israel. Steady population growth This minority group was free to move in the region together with their families and also animals without any territorial barriers. Their way of life as nomads allowed them to move from one place to another without any limiting barriers such as the territorial boundaries. This means that they continued to have a steady increase in their populations. (Aloni 2001) The ability to uphold their cultural values This enabled them to further maintain as well as uphold their cultural values since the cohesion which existed among them enabled them to remain united as well as uphold the must important cultural values. Before the formation of the state of Israel the minority populations were experiencing very difficult economic conditions since there were very few employment opportunities and thus they did not have sufficient wages for their upkeep. Similarly their living conditions were very poor and most of them struggled so much by doing very odd jobs so as to make their ends meet. (Israel Ministry of foreign affairs 2006) Discrimination by the major populations The minority populations on the other hand were discriminated by the majority populations and they were not involved in the decision making processes or even other communal activities. They felt locked out and they lost their sense of belonging. (Beckman 1999) The experiences of the minority populations of the region during the formation of Israel Displacements During the formation of the Israeli state the minority populations were vastly displaced and this made them to move to new territories since their regions had been turned into war zones. This was caused by the ensuing conflict between the Jewish people and the Arabs from the Palestinian country. These populations of the minorities were massacred during the formation of Israel and this further spread a lot of terror on these communities and they were forced by the prevailing circumstances to flee for their safety. Thousands of the people from the minority communities fled to countries such as Egypt, Lebanon and also an area that is known as the west bank. Loss of lives Similarly during the formation of the country of Israel most of the people in the minority populations lost their lives since the whole process involved major conflicts as well as wars. Similarly during this period there were very many casualties who were in the Jewish army some of who were amputated. Low living standards During this period the minority lacked proper amenities for their basic needs and this led them to settle in the refugee camps where the living conditions were unbearable. Similarly since most of the people in the minority community had taken part in the wars that were going on between the Arabs and the Jews this had led to the reduction of such populations. Migrations During the period of the formation of the Israeli country a majority of the minority populations migrated to the neighboring countries as refugees but most of them played a very significant role against the hostility of the Arabs. The Bedouins for instance could not continue with their nomadic lives since there was a lot of insecurity as well as tension in the regions where they would graze their animals and also fend for their families. (Beckman 1999) Maintaining the cultural identity Somehow during the Israel formation process most of the minority populations were able to maintain their very distinct cultural identity and this allowed them to remain independent without assimilating into the Jewish or even the Muslim communities. (Bowyer, Bell, John 1996) Differences in the inter-group relations Similarly during the same process there existed very deeply rooted differences between the minorities and the majority populations based on the religious values as well as the individual political beliefs. This hindered the development of the inter-group relations during the period when Israel was being formed. Segregation The minority group during that period lived in self segregation and they did not accept or even acknowledge the majority populations uniquenwss as well as their aspirations. Most of the villages for the minority populations were highly depopulated during the formation process of the state of Israel. This was due to the conflict that existed between the Arabs and the Palestinians. Similarly most of the villages which were belonging to the minority groups were destroyed and the exodus of these populations to other safe territories was massive. The wars forced the minority groups to leave their homes in the country of Palestine and look for new settlement areas I the new country of Israel most of who opted to settle along the borders of their former Arab lands. The experiences of the minority populations of the region after the formation of Israel After the formation of Israel as an independent state the minority populations experienced a lot of issues ranging from displacements to the social segregation among others. (Benvenisti 2002) Displacement . First and foremost the minority groups were heavily displaced during and after the formation process. This meant that they had to establish themselves in new territories as well as learn to co-exist with the other minority populations and also the majority populations. The displaced minority groups had to adapt to the new living styles at the same time maintaining their very strong cultural and religious ideologies. (Bickerton, Ian and Hill, Maria 2003) Continued conflicts During this period there was also a continuation of the conflicts between the minority populations and also the major populations in Israel. The formation of Israel further aggravated the existing social conflicts between the minority populations as well as the majority populations. The formation of Israel also led to an increase in the social disparities thus further contributing to a political life that is often overheated and also an unstable environment especially for the minority populations. The minority populations also experience a lot of social conflict between themselves notwithstanding a potential for social unrest. Trauma The aftermath of the formation of the state of Israel was that the minority populations in the country experienced a very traumatizing encounter. This is due to the many conflicts and also wars which had prevailed prior to the formation of the country of Israel. These groups were also traumatized by the massive loss of lives for their community members thus highly reducing their populations. (Bregman 2002) Similarly they were also traumatized by the fact that they would not be able to further achieve any form of participation in Israel's national lives since they had been segmented. Fortunately the state of Israel worked towards integrating all the population groups both the minorities and also the majorities into the country's economy. (Ben-Ami 2006) Depopulation Most of the villages for the minority populations were highly depopulated. This was as a result of the wars and conflict that had prevailed between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Most of the villages which had belonged to the minority groups were destroyed and the exodus of these populations to other safe territories was massive after the formation of Israel. The wars had forced the minority groups to leave their homes in the country of Palestine and look for new settlement areas in the new country of Israel most of who opted to settle along the borders of their former Arab lands. (Bickerton, Ian and Hill, Maria 2003) Immigration The Jewish minorities took the land, the orchards and also the homes of the majority indigenous population. These minorities gained ruler ship over a very large number of the Palestinians who were living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. After the formation of the state of Israel there were different laws which had been set separately for the minorities based on their race, religious and their ethnic differences. (Gabriel 1995) Casualties The minority groups also suffered many casualties as an aftermath of the Arab Israeli conflict since most of the people in these populations were serving in the Israeli military and also the security forces. And most of the people in such minority groups are seeking their full integration within the Jewish Israeli state. (Israel Ministry of foreign affairs 2006) Settlements Similarly most of the minorities in the Israel settled in places where they could involve themselves in agriculture which is the most important source of livelihood in Israel. Most of them also settled in the Jewish cities which are now rapidly becoming virtual suburbs because of the growing population. Their living conditions after the formation of Israel were very low since most of them lived in detached houses and they did not care in any way about the other forms of urban housing. (Bregman 2002) Conclusion In conclusion the minority populations such as the Christians and also the Bedouins experienced a lot of hardships during and after the formation of Israel. Their experiences included; a substantial migration of the these populations from the Palestinian territory, deaths and casualties of those who participated in the wars between the Jews and the Arabs in Palestine, depopulation, population displacements, trauma, continued conflicts, segregations, differences in the inter-group relations as well as the low living standards. On the other hand the formation of Israel affected the minority populations in a number of ways in the economic, social cultural, religious as well as the political aspects. (Bickerton, Ian and Hill, Maria 2003) Reference: Gabriel, B. (1995): The Jerusalem Letter and Jerusalem Letter/Viewpoints are published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Jerusalem, Israel Israel Ministry of foreign affairs (2006): The society, Minority communities. Published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Jerusalem, Israel Aloni, S. (2001): Arab-Israeli Air Wars 1947-82. Osprey publishing press, Beckman, M. (1999): The Jewish Brigade: An Army with Two Masters, 1944-45. Sarpedon Publishers Ben-Ami, S. (2006): Scars of War, Wounds of Peace, The Israeli-Arab Tragedy. Oxford University Press Benvenisti, M. (2002): Sacred Landscape. University of California Press, Bickerton, Ian and Hill, Maria (2003): Contested Spaces, The Arab-Israeli Conflict. Published by McGraw-Hill Bowyer, Bell, John (1996): Terror Out of Zion; The Fight For Israeli Independence. Transaction Publishers Bregman, A. (2002): Israel's Wars: A History Since 1947. London: Routledge. Brown, Judith and Louis, Roger (1999): The Oxford History of the British Empire. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Read More