A Brief History of the Israeli-Arab Conflict
by Dionysis Theodorou January 30th 2011
Many have an opinion regarding the Israeli-Arab conflict and this opinion is formed by the international media which generally paints Israel as the aggressor. Opinions are not formed based on knowledge or even on an interest in the conflict. A genuine and unbiased interest in the conflict would provide the incentive for research which would form a more accurate, educated opinion.
Presenting Israel as the aggressor is not a new strategy. I have seen news reports from the early 1950s in which the reports fail to mention the murder of Jewish women and children by local Arabs instead preferring to focus on the Arab casualties following the Israeli response. The impression was given that Israel attacked without provocation.
Casualties from Israeli defense operations are also exagerated and distorted to further incriminate Israel and to enrage the Arab population against Israel. Today, these tactics are used to turn international public opinion against Israel. By the time research has revealed the true facts it is too late: the damage has been done.
In an early example of this, from 1947, just before the war of Independence, Israeli retaliation to Arab infiltrators who murdered innocent Israeli civilians, was purposely exagerated by the Arab leadership of the time to quicken the response of the regular Arab armies of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq.
The false reports on the radio of rape and massacre by the Israelis caused the flight of hundreds of thousands of terrified Arabs from their homes. Arab survivors of the village where the attack took place who testified against the reports were silenced. The Arab leaders later admitted that the false report tactic had been a tragic mistake.
The armies of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq attacked Israel on May 15th 1948, the day after David Ben Gurion declared the establishment of the Jewish State.
Casualties from Israeli defense operations are also exagerated and distorted to further incriminate Israel and to enrage the Arab population against Israel. Today, these tactics are used to turn international public opinion against Israel. By the time research has revealed the true facts it is too late: the damage has been done.
In an early example of this, from 1947, just before the war of Independence, Israeli retaliation to Arab infiltrators who murdered innocent Israeli civilians, was purposely exagerated by the Arab leadership of the time to quicken the response of the regular Arab armies of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq.
The false reports on the radio of rape and massacre by the Israelis caused the flight of hundreds of thousands of terrified Arabs from their homes. Arab survivors of the village where the attack took place who testified against the reports were silenced. The Arab leaders later admitted that the false report tactic had been a tragic mistake.
The armies of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq attacked Israel on May 15th 1948, the day after David Ben Gurion declared the establishment of the Jewish State.
The Arab nations have never come to terms with Israel's presense in the Middle East. Israel has had a continuous presense in the land for almost 3500 years and a connection to the land going back 4000 years.
There was no violent invasion and conquest of the land by the Jewish people in the late 1800s when they began returning to their land.
The people of Israel started moving back to the land from which they were exiled by the Romans almost 2000 years ago. In exile, anti-semitism, pogroms and fierce persecution, crusades and inquisitions culminated in the Holocaust which claimed over 6 million Jewish lives. Anti-semitism and persecution of Jewish people still continues the world over.
The constant prayer of the Jewish people throughout 2000 years of exile has been: Next year in Jerusalem--The return to the homeland.
Nation building started in the late 1800s with agricultural communities sprouting up, draining marshes and swamps and developing modern irrigation techniques that would make the deserts bloom. The standard of living for the local Arabs improved, infant mortality rates dropped and life expectancy increased.
The local Arabs supported by the surrounding Arab nations did not want the Jewish people to live in the land and they instigated violence in the most horrific ways. The killings were indiscriminate: without warning they would murder families in agricultural communities and in the newly built cities in an attempt to scare the Jews away.
The Jews had nowhere to go. Europe was on the brink of war. Those who could, fled to the land of Israel for refuge. Those who remained in Europe would be almost completely annihilated. The world Jewish population before the war was around 18 million. Six million were murdered. The world Jewish population today is around 14 million.
The Arab world has not really changed its policy towards Israel since 1948 when the state was established and immediately attacked by five Arab armies. The Arabs have planned and executed war after war after war with the expressed and desired goal of wiping Israel off the map and throwing the Jews into the sea.
Read up on the War of Independence, 1948, The Sinai War of 1956, The Six Day War of 1967, The War of Attrition of 1968-1970 and The Yom Kippur War of 1973. Investigate the reasons behind the war in Lebanon in 1982, the reasons behind the Gulf War in 1991 and the non-stop violence in between the wars that continues to this day.
If it weren't for courageous leaders like Anwar Sadat of Egypt and King Hussein of Jordan there would be no peace between Israel and those two countries. Anwar Saddat was assassinated for making peace with Israel.
Egypt today is on the verge of a revolution that could overthrow president Mubarak and bring Islamic radicals into power. Hizbollah finally has a grip on the government of Lebanon. Tunisia has overthrown their leader and Jordan may follow suit. Iran is developing a nuclear bomb and threatens to destroy Israel, promising to finish the job the Arabs started in 1948.
The pot is boiling and is about to overflow. The protests alone have caused many deaths and we can only expect an escalation in violence and more deaths and instability. The Arab governments cannot control their own people. They murder each other for pride, honour, power and religion.
Israel has peace within its borders. The Jewish people want secure borders. Israel has no religious agenda related to the land. Israel does not want more territory; however, the more you distance your enemy from your borders, the safer your population is.
As Golda Meir wisely said: "When the Arabs love their children more than they hate us, there will be peace."
And as Benjamin Netanyahu, the current prime minister, said a few years ago: "If the Arabs put down their weapons there will be no war; If the Jews put down their weapons there will be no Israel."
Revolution in Egypt
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/258304/revolution-egypt-and-could-jordan-be-next-joel-c-rosenberg
50 years war Israel and the Arabs (PBS-Public Broadcasting Service)
A comprehensive documentary covering the conflict.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5CIjZw3vF4
The Six Day War 1967
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E63AKJpa1Tk
The Yom Kippur War 1973
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vjRyw7YMfc
