Partition Plan For Palestine

On 29 November 1947 , the partition of Palestine drafted by the UNSCOP is approved by the General Assembly of the UN in New York by a vote of resolution 181.

This plan provides for the partition of Palestine into three entities, with the creation of a State Jewish State and an Arab , Jerusalem was placed under international control as a corpus separatum.

With this sharing, the aims of the Zionist project are achieved, but also sharing will lead to the Palestine war of 1948.

Background

From the late ^nineteenth century , an important strand in Jewish communities worldwide, the Zionist claim to self-determination and the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. In 1917, the British, through the Balfour Declaration announced their official support to the Zionist project. They were followed in 1920 by the League of Nations gives the British mandate in Palestine in order to promote the Jewish immigration and the establishment of a Jewish national homeland. "

The Arab population of the country and those of neighboring countries still oppose the project. Events are held regularly throughout Palestine in 1919. In April 1920, riots are a dozen deaths and nearly 250 wounded in Jerusalem on the eve of the Conference of San Remo , which must endorse the warrant. The King Faisal tries unsuccessfully to take control of Syria to include Palestine as a province. In addition, Palestinian nationalism is growing. New incidents broke out in 1921 and in 1929 while the Palestinian Arabs claim their independence and demanding an end to Jewish immigration in the country.

The Palestinian struggle culminating in the Great Revolt of 1936-1939. Led by Palestinian nationalists, it opposes both to Zionism, the British presence in Palestine and Palestinian politicians claiming to be a pan-Arab nationalism. British repression was bloody and violent reaction of the Zionist organizations. In the end, Palestinian nationalists, however, the British get a drastic reduction of Jewish immigration led to the 1939 White Paper. But the consequences are heavy. The rebellion left nearly 5,000 dead Arab side and 500 on the Jewish side. The various Zionist paramilitary organizations are strengthened and most members of the Palestinian political elite have been arrested and forced into exile. Among these, the leader of the Arab Higher Committee , Haj Amin al-Husseini fled to Nazi Germany, where he sought support for his cause.

After the Second World War , following the tragedy of the Holocaust , the Zionist movement attracts sympathy. In Palestine, the Zionist right groups in turn lead a campaign of violence against the "occupation" punctuated by numerous British attacks. Palestinian nationalists reorganize but remain far behind the Zionists. However, the weakening of the colonial powers has reinforced the Arab countries and Arab League recently formed takes up the Palestinian nationalist claims and serves as their spokesman.

Neither the Mandatory authorities, or commissions of inquiry sent by London or conferences and bilateral negations fail to find a solution that satisfies the parties. On 18 February 1947 , the British announced accordingly abandoning their mandate over the region and transfer the dossier to the UN.

Creating the plan

The UN, which had succeeded the League of Nations , attempted to resolve the conflict between Jews and Arabs about the future of the British mandate.

In February 1947 , the British government of Clement Attlee , no longer able to maintain order in Palestine, decided to surrender his mandate to the UN.

The UN designated the 13 May 1947 members of a committee, the UNSCOP (United Nations Special Committee on Palestine), composed of representatives of 11 countries ( Australia , Canada , Guatemala , India , Iran , Netherlands , Peru , Sweden , Czechoslovakia , Uruguay , Yugoslavia ). For the sake of neutrality, none of the major powers of the time was not represented.

The UNSCOP considered two options. The first was the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states, with Jerusalem under international control. The second was the creation of a single federal state containing both a Jewish state and an Arab state.

A majority of the UNSCOP adopted the first solution, although several members were in favor of the second option, the Australia for its part, could not decide between these two proposals. The UN General Assembly agreed by a large majority the proposal UNSCOP, but made some modifications to the demarcation of borders between the two states.

Division of Land

Jewish areas in 1947. The partition plan of the UN is trying to integrate a maximum in the proposed new Jewish state.

Partition plan of 1947 - See also detailed map (UN).

According to the Partition Plan, the Jewish state included the coastal plain, stretching from Haifa to Rehovot , the eastern Galilee and the Negev desert, including the outpost of Umm Rashrash south (now called Eilat ).

The Arab state was to receive the Western Galilee, with the city of Acre , the hills of Judea and Samaria (the corresponding area larger than what is now called West Bank ) and southern coast extending from north of Majdal (now Ashkelon ), and including the current Gaza Strip , with part of the desert along the border of Egypt. The city of Jaffa in predominantly Arab population, south of Tel Aviv , was originally part of the Jewish state. It was finally understood in the Arab state before the Partition Plan was passed by the UN, thus forming an enclave.

Sharing Population

At the time of the partition plan, the total population of Palestine consists of two-thirds of Arabs and one third of Jews. The Jewish population represented by the Yishuv (the Hebrew word for Jewish population of Palestine before 1948) has 7% of the land.

The Jewish state proposed would bring together a majority of Jews (558,000 to 405,000 Arabs). 10 000 Jews were then in the Arab state. It would therefore be 99% populated by Arabs, with a community of 804 000 inhabitants.

The international zone centered on Jerusalem, count 100 000 105 000 Jews to Arabs.

2% Jews, 10 000, is found neither in the Jewish state or the international zone in Jerusalem. 31% of the Arabs, or 405,000 people, are neither in the Arab state, nor in Jerusalem.

The proposed Jewish State is substantially greater (55%) that the Arab state, including a very large part occupied by the Negev desert (40%).

Reactions

Arab reactions

The vast majority of Arabs living in Palestine and all Arab states were opposed to this plan because they found unfair booking to Israel, according to them, the most fertile land and most important outlets to the sea (although the Most of Israel is located in the Negev desert), and thus depriving the future Palestinian state significant resources. This plan was therefore rejected by the Arab League countries. Its secretary, Abdul Rahman Azzam Pasha, said: "The time is past speeches and words. It is a matter of life or death. The plan was however approved by the international community. The cries for help are giving way to anger and control the Arab world who criticizes the disregard of the signatories of this plan, as evidenced by the daily Egyptian nationalist Balagh: "The hour of battle has come. Jewish Reactions

If originally the majority of Jews in Palestine accepted the partition, there was however strong opposition from the more nationalistic, particularly (but not exclusively) on the right. The Irgun and Lehi vigorously criticized sharing.

The majority of Zionist Jews rejoiced, however, finally get an independent state. From a technical standpoint, even advocates of the agreement regretted the lack of territorial continuity of their new state.

In France, support the plan by the Alliance Israelite Universelle , pre-Zionist war was won narrowly, and not without dithering ^{Text of Resolution 181}

Resolution 181 on the UN website

Adoption of the text

The UNSCOP officially presents its findings in mid-September. While the Jewish Agency accepts the findings as a basis for discussion, the Irgun and the Arab Higher Committee rejected them. The British confirmed their willingness to challenge the warrant and the United States and the Soviet Union support the plan .

A committee is created to the UN to continue the work and changes are made to the original project: the Arab cities of Jaffa and Beersheba are removed from the Jewish state to reduce the size of its Arab minority, which rises from 405 000 325 000 and the end date of the mandate is set to "no later than August ^1, " .

On 25 November 1947, the Committee voted to release the agenda of the plan with 25 votes for, 13 against, 17 abstentions and 2 absent, the plan will be voted at the General Assembly but with this result, it lacks a voice that the resolution be accepted .

Diplomacy, particularly American, intervened. There is pressure on Liberia and France to vote in favor of the plan. It also attempts to bribe delegates to obtain their votes .

UN resumes vote four days later, on 29 November 1947 , the UN General Assembly adopted by 33 votes to 13 against with 10 abstentions ^{, ,} the partition of Palestine in two states, one Arab and one Jewish - Jerusalem special status under the UN auspices.

The convergence between the two powers (Russians and Americans) in conflict sensation. The Arabs of Palestine and the governments of all Arab states, refused to accept the recommendations of Resolution 181, and indicated they will oppose by force the implementation of these recommendations.

Soviet Positions

Speech by the representative Soviet Semyon Tsarapkin: "The historical and legal arguments can not and should not be decisive in resolving the Palestinian question. The essential problem is to base the right of Jewish and Arab populations of Palestine to decide their fate. The suffering of Jews during the last war must be an important element in the decision of the Assembly. The Jews are fighting for a state of their own, and it would be unfair to deny them the right to attain this goal .

The USSR supported the establishment of Israel as it "sees an opportunity to penetrate the Middle East through Palestine, provided to expel the English First . The aim is twofold: to weaken the British in the region, and try to topple the Soviet camp in Israel, taking advantage of the dominance of the left in the Zionist movement and its alliance with the party "strongly Stalinist ", the Mapam , second largest party after elections in 1949 . For Ilan Pappe , the objective of driving the British from the region have also been clearly dominant .

In turn, if the Zionist movement welcomes the unexpected support of the Soviets (historically very anti-Zionist), David Ben-Gurion preferred no plans an alliance with Moscow. Even before tensions, David Ben Gurion declared the U.S. Ambassador James Grover McDonald appointed by Truman : "Israel welcomes Russian support for UN, but will not tolerate Soviet domination. Not only Israel is Western in its orientation, but our people are Democrats and realizes that he can become strong and remain open only through cooperation with the United States. Only the West itself, in humiliating Israel and abandoning the UN and elsewhere might alienate our people . "
In fact, in autumn 1950, the Soviets refrain in a series of debates on border incidents. Quickly, "Israel is the target of a vicious press campaign, and diplomatic relations were broken off before resuming, but very coldly, after the death of Stalin (1953) .

Vote on resolution

Distribution of votes of resolution 181:

for has changed to abstention cons absent not a member of the UN

Sharing and the creation of two states (State Jewish State and Arab area of Jerusalem under international administration), were voted by 33 votes against 13 with 10 abstentions.

Ayes: United States of America , Australia , Belgium , Bolivia , Brazil , Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic , Canada , Costa Rica , Denmark , Dominican Republic , Ecuador , France , Guatemala , Haiti , Iceland , Liberia , Luxembourg , Netherlands Netherlands , New Zealand , Nicaragua , Norway , Panama , Paraguay , Peru , Philippines , Republic of Poland , Sweden , Czechoslovakia , the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic , Union of South Africa , USSR , Uruguay and Venezuela.

Voted against: Afghanistan , Saudi Arabia , Cuba , Egypt , Greece , India , Iran , Iraq , Lebanon , Pakistan , Syria , Turkey , and Yemen.

Abstaining: Argentina , Chile , China , Colombia , El Salvador , Ethiopia , Honduras , Mexico , United Kingdom , Yugoslavia.

A coup in Siam prevented the delegation from this country to vote.

Were responsible for ensuring the transition to the field: Bolivia, Denmark, Panama, Philippines and Czechoslovakia.

Resolution 181 was to the creation of two states:

• a Jewish state of 14 000 km ² with 558,000 Jews and 405,000 Arabs comprised of three parts, the coastal plain along the Syrian border and the Negev desert.
• an Arab state of 11 500 km ² with 804,000 Arabs and 10,000 Jews made up of four parts: a zone around Gaza City, the mountains of Judea and Samaria, most of the Galilee in the north, and the Jaffa;
• Finally, an area under special international regime including the holy sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem with 106,000 Arabs and 100,000 Jews.

Despite the original intention of creating two states of similar size, the UN gives Zionists more than 50% of the Peel Plan of 1937 and the final cutting is largely favorable to the Jews with 60% of the territory they had hitherto only 7% of the land .

Consequences of Voting

The Yishuv unconditionally accepted the partition plan, while the authorities of the neighboring Arab countries rejected the plan. The immediate consequence was the outbreak of civil war in Palestine followed the Arab-Israeli war of 1948.

For the Zionist movements, the vote of November 1947, rejected by Arab leaders, was a huge victory because the division was the recognition of the founding of the new State of Israel which they called all their wishes.

References

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