On This Day in History: May 15

The first Arab-Israeli War

AUDIO VERSION HERE

Antisemitism is not just a right-wing phenomenon. Plenty of “woke” lefties who believe themselves ever-so-progressive have no problem being antisemitic as fuck. With a disturbing resurgence of antisemitism across the political spectrum, the tale of the founding of the State of Israel and the war that immediately followed bears retelling.

--On This Day in History Shit Went Down: May 15, 1948--

After six million Jews were systematically murdered by fucking Nazis, the Jews’ desire for a safe haven reached a tipping point. Many of the Jewish people arriving in the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa were survivors of the Holocaust, having lost their entire families. They were handed rifles and told to defend their new homes.

From the Palestinian perspective, what had been a gradual influx of Jewish immigrants over several decades was suddenly a flood of people they saw as invaders of their homeland. The founder of the State of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, empathized, saying were he an Arab leader he would have waged perpetual war against Israel. Ben-Gurion understood that Palestinians were not at fault for the Holocaust, and that from the Palestinian perspective “We have come here and stolen their country.”

Let me backtrack. In 1917 the British promised a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. The British mandate for administering Palestine ended on May 14, 1948, and the region was partitioned. The Jewish people accepted the terms, immediately declaring independence as the State of Israel. The U.S. quickly acknowledged the new nation as legitimate, followed by many others. But Arab countries viewed it as an affront, and Egypt, Transjordan, Iraq, and Syria attacked Jewish settlements the following day, May 15.

Although outnumbered and geographically disadvantaged, Israel was better equipped, financed, trained, and motivated than its adversaries. Within six months, the Arab alliance was crushed.

Atrocities were committed on both sides, civilians massacred, homes burned. Israel used its military success to grow beyond the original partition to attain more defensible borders via the destruction of Palestinian villages.

Palestinians mark May 15 as the Nakba, or “catastrophe.” The initial partition allotted Jews 55% of historic Palestine, but after the war this expanded to 78% being under Israeli control. For their part, Jews faced centuries of persecution and annihilation, and had long sought self-determination through a national home they could defend against future attempts at genocide. The situation led to a state of frequent war and permanent siege. Israelis are surrounded by enemies who call for their utter destruction. Animosity runs deep, and peace remains elusive.

Get the book On This Day in History Sh!t Went Down.