Israel: A House Divided. 1947: UN votes to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab sectors.

Israel: A House Divided

1947: UN votes to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab sectors

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