Chapter I
Al-Nakba Explained
Since October 7, 2023, the world witnessed the escalation of a conflict from retaliation to a full-blown genocide facilitated through the intensive Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Some people may be inclined to perceive the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a modern-day political phenomenon, while others derive its essence back to Al-Nakba in the late 1940s. However, these are considered political nuances that undermine the gravity of the crisis and the prolonged suffering of Palestinians. Therefore, it is essential to note that the reality of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict far exceeds these proposed time constraints. The Palestinian issue is gravely rooted in history and is, in fact, a by-product of over a century's worth of strategic political and military planning. To ramify apparent political nuances, this chapter divulges the historical context that brought about Al-Nakba and shaped the current political landscape. The chapter focuses on the causes and consequences of Al-Nakba to amply illustrate and communicate the profound complexities endured by Palestinians.
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Navigate Chapter I
The Rise of Political Zionism
During the late 1800s, Theodor Herzl, an Austrian-born political activist and journalist, publicly proclaimed that within the boundaries of Europe and the Soviet Union Jewish communities were severely subjugated. His life in both Austria and Paris further fueled his eagerness to cultivate a solution that would protect the Jewish religion for these reasons. A prominent incident that particularly motivated his political actions was the Dreyfus Affair in France. In 1894, A Jewish French Army Captain, Alfred Dreyfus, was accused of selling confidential French military material to the Germans. Herzl considered this incident an expression of what he believed to be an anti-Jewish sentiment. This incident was pivotal as it irrevocably changed the dynamic of the Jewish community throughout Europe. Correspondingly, Herzl attempted to compose systematic responses that would provide a solution to what he referred to as the "Jewish question." Herzl saw that the integration of Jewish communities with local communities was an impossible affair.
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Herzl concluded that an independent Jewish state was the sole answer, and hence, Zionism was molded into existence as the solution. Zionism is a political ideology that sought the creation of a Jewish-based state in the land of Palestine. The tactical construction of the term Zionism originates from the name Zion, which refers to two hills in ancient Jerusalem that are focal points in the Old Testament. Herzl knowingly derived this notion from Jewish religious tradition to legitimize his rationale. By artfully combining elements of the Lovers of Zion, religious Zionism, to his political doctrine, Herzl was able to condition Jewish public opinion in favor of a Jewish state in Palestine.
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Development of Zionism​
Following his determination to address the eminent "Jewish question," Herzl published The Jewish State pamphlet in 1896. The pamphlet did not include a comprehensively devised plan as to how the Jewish state should come about. However, it offered historical and socio-political justifications for its establishment. In 1897, Herzl extended his efforts by organizing the First Congress of Zionists that convened in Basel, Switzerland. The First Congress of Zionists was critical to advancing their respective political motives. It marked the constitution of the foundations of the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Nation Fund, and the stationing of an executive.
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The foundations of the World Zionist Organization were founded during the First Congress of Zionists and aimed to support the Zionist ideology globally. The Jewish National (JNF) was also a discussion point during the First Congress of Zionists; the congress introduced the JNF to purchase lands in Palestine and Syria. The JNF acquired its first portion of land in 1905; however, while this fund played a preliminary part in land acquisition, the vast land acquisition is attested to military conquests. The elected executive was responsible for disseminating propaganda, recruiting members, gathering information, and organizing fundraising initiatives. The congressional endeavor did not simply end there; it also met over twenty times before the official Declaration of Israel as an independent state.
The Balfour Declaration & the British Mandate of Palestine
The Balfour Declaration was a statement issued on November 2, 1917, by the British government affirming Britain's dedication to supporting the Jewish community and answering the "Jewish question." It is considered one of the earliest forms of international legitimacy allotted to the Jewish community. While individuals predominantly note this statement as a formal legitimization of the eventual creation of Israel, particular academics note that the document loosely defined its boundaries of support. The argument resides on the proclamation that the Declaration promoted finding a "national home for the Jewish people," but not the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. Winston Churchill's White Paper further fosters this particular argument, a policy statement published in 1922 that aimed to clarify the content of the Balfour Declaration. The statement proclaimed that the British did not intend to promote the conversion of Palestine into an entirely Jewish state, nor did it advocate for the subjugation or removal of Palestinian Arabs.
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Shortly after the White Paper's publication, Palestine became formally recognized as the British Mandate of Palestine from 1928 to 1948. During that time, the British government oversaw the governance of the previously Ottoman-held region in accordance with the approval of the League of Nations after World War I. In consort with their Balfour Declaration promises and the outlines of the White Paper statement, Britain facilitated Jewish immigration from Europe to the Mandate as long as the amount of immigrants did not surpass the "economic capacity of the country at the time to absorb new arrivals." Hence, regardless of the controversy of the Balfour Declaration and Churchill's consequent policy statement, the Balfour Declaration and the overall creation of the British Mandate of Palestine played an integral role in mobilizing Jewish immigrants into Palestine.
British Withdrawal & the UN Partition Plan
The Balfour Declaration attempted to funnel British imperialism by acting as a mediating agent within the region. The aftermath of the Second World War exceptionally altered the international political dynamic. In light of these changes, Britain saw through a weakened economic policy and a loss of governance efficacy throughout its colonies. In the British Mandate of Palestine, their continued support for the Jewish cause fostered negative sentiments from the Arabs. Hence, as an attempt to safeguard their relations with both the Arabs and the United States of America, a primary Zionist advocate, they opted to pursue a diplomatic route. This political shift was vital to their Cold War strategy.
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On September 20, 1947, Britain assumed the first official action towards disseminating their political hold and eventually withdrew from Palestine by referring the Palestinian issue to the United Nations. In November 1947, the UN General Assembly put forth Resolution 181, which recommended the partition of Palestine and included two proposals. The majority proposal was the "Plan of Partition with the Economic Union." This proposal recommended the division of the state of Palestine into an Arab and Jewish state, that are economically joined. In regards to citizenship, Arabs or Jews, including those who may not hold Palestinian citizenship, would be granted citizenship following independence within the state by which they reside. Under this proposal, Jerusalem would be considered a corpus separatum. Corpus separatum entailed that Jerusalem would be a separate entity that does not confer on Jewish or Arab governance and is to be regulated "under an International Trusteeship System." On the other hand, the minority proposal was the "Federal State Solution," which suggested a single binational state with autonomous regions for Jews and Arabs. In accordance with this proposal, Arabs, Jews, and other residents were entitled to "a single Palestinian citizenship and nationality." Following intensive lobbying, Resolution 181 passed by the UN General Assembly with thirty-three votes.
What is Al-Nakba?
The term Al-Nakba directly translates to "catastrophe" in Arabic. The term was coined in a manner that meticulously expressed the period from the stance of Palestinians. Al-Nakba lasted from 1948 to 1949, when the aggressive expulsion of approximately ¾ of Palestinians from their homelands, the corresponding mass destruction of Palestinian towns and villages, and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians occurred following the ratification of Resolution 181. The following content will explicitly reveal the reality of Al-Nakba and its consequences.
Arab-Israeli War & the Israeli Declaration of Independence (1948)
Arabs did not receive the passing of Resolution 181 well, and the political climate deteriorated into a regional war. We can view the war under the scope of two incremental waves; the first wave occurred in immediate response to the passing of Resolution 181, and the second wave happened upon the Israeli Declaration of Independence. The first wave saw through the escalation of Jewish aggression, who recognized their military efforts as their rightful exercise of sovereignty and statehood. Their military ventures included war propaganda, economic sanctions, and hostile acquisition of territories. One of the most devastating occurrences of the first wave was the Deir Yassin massacre. On April 9, 1948, Zionist militias carried out a massacre in the Arab Palestinian town of Deir Yassin. The massacre resulted in the killing of over 100 Palestinians, some of whom were raped or paraded around before their killing. The comprehension of the gravity of this event in Palestinian history is crucial, as it was the event that propelled mass Palestinian departures from their homeland. It also resembled one of the earliest situations of ethnic cleansing committed by Zionist soldiers.
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The last of the British soldier fleet exited the Palestinian premises on the eve of the Israeli Declaration of Independence and correspondingly terminated the British Mandate of Palestine. The forecasting of the establishment of the Jewish state on May 14, 1948, fed significantly into their Zionist narrative. The strategic use of the term independence carries a misguiding connotation that implies a freed nation, adequately representing the Zionist attempts at legitimizing their narrative.
Facts & Figures: the Devastation Following the Establishment of An Israeli State
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Between 1947 and 1949, approximately 750, 000 to 1 million Palestinians were removed from their native land by Zionist forces, fueling the eventual Palestinian refugee crisis
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Between 1948-50, over 400 Palestinian towns and cities were destroyed by Zionist militias and eventually inhabited by Israelis.
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On April 9, 1948, over 100 Palestinian Arabs were massacred by Zionist soldiers in Deir Yassin, a Palestinian town.
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In 1949, the UN created the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) as a response to increased reliance on international funding and the refugee crisis caused by Zionist aggressions.
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The overall monetary losses suffered by Palestinians during Al-Nakba equate to an approximation average of $150 billion (current rate).
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At the Arab Summit Meeting in 1964, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was formed. It was created to organize opposition efforts.
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Consequent Arab-Israeli conflicts including:
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In 1967, the Six-Day War, which included Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Israel, resulted in the Israeli seizing of territories (Sinai Peninsula, West Bank, Gaza Strip, and City of Jerusalem).
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In 1973, the Yom Kippur War, which included Egypt, Syria, and Israel res, resulted in Egypt regaining the Sinai Peninsula and signing a finite peace agreement with Israeli forces.
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1987 to 1993, the First Intifada took place, which was a period of Palestinian retaliation against the Israeli occupation forces.
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2002 to 2005, the Second Intifada took place, which was a more pronounced uprising against the oppressive regime. The implications of the uprising included occupational activity in the West Bank and added restrictions on the Palestinians’ regional mobility.
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