Spring Break
The face of Zionism in the modern day
Muhammad Majdi Ataya and Rami Abdoch
Issue date: 1/28/09 Section: Opinion
To take a look at the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a discord, independent of historical context, is to understand incorrectly the motives, logistics, and effects of the crisis. Examining the historical landscape against which these exigencies take place is essential to understanding the problematic atmosphere engulfing the region. The mistrust of Israel by a majority of the Arab world and of the Arab world by Israel is a product of applying the knowledge that spans five or so years back. The situation can be difficult to fully absorb, so here is some history.
The area known today as the Palestinian region and Israeli state was a province of the Ottoman Empire since the 7th century. The language was Arabic, the religion was Islam, and 60% of the land was in agriculture. The legal issues presented today by many displaced Palestinians arises vis-à-vis a European contradiction. The McMahon-Hussein Correspondence, 1915-1916, was a series of letters between Husain bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, and the British High Commissioner, Sir Henry McMahon. The letters promised future Arab states if the Arabs were to revolt against the ruling Ottoman Empire. Part of these 'promised lands' is the region known today as Palestine/Israel. In 1917, over a year later, the Balfour Declaration directly contradicted these correspondences. Arthur James Balfour, Foreign Secretary to a leader of the Jewish British community, drafted what would become British policy, the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine.
In the years leading up to the creation of an Israeli state, Zionist organizations pushed the purchase of land by Jewish migrants. However, these same Zionist organizations, like the Jewish National Fund, bought land and held it for sale or lease to Jewish buyers only. Although the British Mandate restricted Jewish land ownership to certain parts of Palestine, these groups continued to obtain land illegally between 1936 and 1947. Even after this accumulation of land, in 1946, Jews in Palestine owned less than 7% of the land.
The area known today as the Palestinian region and Israeli state was a province of the Ottoman Empire since the 7th century. The language was Arabic, the religion was Islam, and 60% of the land was in agriculture. The legal issues presented today by many displaced Palestinians arises vis-à-vis a European contradiction. The McMahon-Hussein Correspondence, 1915-1916, was a series of letters between Husain bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, and the British High Commissioner, Sir Henry McMahon. The letters promised future Arab states if the Arabs were to revolt against the ruling Ottoman Empire. Part of these 'promised lands' is the region known today as Palestine/Israel. In 1917, over a year later, the Balfour Declaration directly contradicted these correspondences. Arthur James Balfour, Foreign Secretary to a leader of the Jewish British community, drafted what would become British policy, the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine.
In the years leading up to the creation of an Israeli state, Zionist organizations pushed the purchase of land by Jewish migrants. However, these same Zionist organizations, like the Jewish National Fund, bought land and held it for sale or lease to Jewish buyers only. Although the British Mandate restricted Jewish land ownership to certain parts of Palestine, these groups continued to obtain land illegally between 1936 and 1947. Even after this accumulation of land, in 1946, Jews in Palestine owned less than 7% of the land.
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