The First Arab Israel war By Muhammad Farhan khan

 The First Arab-Israeli War

The division of Palestine was the primary cause of the first Arab-Israeli War. In 1947, the United Nations put forward a resolution to partition Palestine, which was approved by 33 countries including the United States and the British Empire, but rejected by 13 countries including Pakistan, India, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

The UN plan proposed allocating 55% of Palestine to 570,000 Jews and 45% to 1,200,000 Arabs. The Arab rejection stemmed from their view that the land, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, belonged wholly to them, considering Jews as outsiders. Many Jews had indeed immigrated to Palestine after World War II, arriving on ships. Consequently, Arabs prepared for war in opposition to the plan.

Upon the approval of the UN plan, both Jews and Arabs began military preparations, leading to the outbreak of hostilities solely within Palestine. The British Mandate over Palestine, reinforced by numerous British soldiers, prevented other Arab nations from directly engaging in the conflict. However, this restraint ended on May 14, 1948, when the British withdrew from Palestine, leaving the region to fend for itself.

During this period, Jewish forces under centralized leadership, particularly by figures like Ben Gurion, were well-disciplined and organized, forming the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). They strategically secured villages with paratrooper units and established barriers electrified to prevent Arab incursions. In contrast, Palestinian Arabs lacked a unified leadership and disciplined military force, relying on small militias scattered across villages.

A pivotal event during this time was the attack on Deir Yassin, an Arab village near Jerusalem, in April 1948. Jewish militias, falsely claiming the presence of Syrian and Iraqi soldiers, carried out a brutal assault resulting in the deaths of around 120 Arabs. This incident intensified fear among Arab villages and led to a mass exodus of Palestinians, known as the Nakbah (catastrophe).

Subsequently, Arab states, including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq, mobilized their forces into Palestine. Despite possessing superior weaponry, including fighter planes and tanks, the Arab coalition faced significant challenges due to disunity and inadequate manpower, numbering only 23,000 soldiers.

In contrast, Israel, supported by funding from wealthy Jewish families and clandestine arms acquisitions, bolstered its military capabilities. By October 1948, Israeli forces numbered 120,000, significantly outnumbering their Arab counterparts. This numerical advantage, coupled with better organization and increasing military supplies, enabled Israel to achieve decisive victories.

The war culminated in Israel's establishment on May 14, 1948, recognized by the United States as the first to extend diplomatic recognition. Arab efforts to reverse Israeli gains faltered, and by the war's end, approximately 500 Arab villages were destroyed, contributing to a refugee crisis that affected millions of Palestinians.

The First Arab-Israeli War, known as the War of Independence in Israel, marked a turning point in Middle Eastern history, shaping subsequent conflicts and geopolitical dynamics in the region.

Author:M Farhan khan