Formation of Israel 1914-1948

• Collapse of the Ottoman Empire

  Turkey's inability to maintain control over the Middle East, leading to its downfall.
• Pan-Arabism


  Movement advocating for a united Arab nation controlled by Arab leaders.
• Zionist demands

  Calls for a Jewish homeland, especially prominent during WWI.
• British and French interest

  Desire to expand imperial influence in the Middle East post-WWI.
• McMahon Letter to Sherif Hussein

  British promise to support Arab independence in exchange for military aid.
• Sykes-Picot Agreement

  Secret British-French plan to divide the Middle East, causing Arab discontent.
• Balfour Declaration

  British pledge to assist in establishing a Jewish state in Palestine.
• Paris Peace Conference


  Post-WWI settlement granting Britain and France control over the Middle East.
• Treaty of Sevres

  1920 treaty giving French control of Syria and Lebanon, British control of Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq.
• Mandates system


  Control mechanism where Allied powers governed former Ottoman territories.
• Self-determination


  Principle supported by President Wilson for nations to choose their sovereignty.
• Mixed promises


  Contradictory agreements during WWI leading to confusion and discontent.
• British handling of Arab-Jewish question

  Complex British decisions regarding Arab and Jewish interests post-WWI.
• League of Nations


  International organization formed after WWI to promote peace
• Class A mandate

  Territory recognized as potentially independent under League of Nations
• Zionism

  Movement supporting the establishment of a Jewish homeland
• Kibbutz

  Communal village settlement often formed by Jewish immigrants
• Tel Aviv

  Major Jewish city developed on the coast of Palestine
• Haganah


  Jewish Defense Force in Palestine
• David Ben-Gurion

  Leader of the 'Jewish Agency' and future Prime Minister of Israel
• Jaffa, 1921


  Port city where Arabs attacked Jews and British soldiers
• Wailing Wall Incident


  Violent clashes over access to holy sites in Jerusalem in 1929
• Hebron Massacre

  Massacre of Jews by Arabs in the settlement of Hebron in 1929
• Arab Revolt


  Open struggle by Arabs against Jewish and British forces in Palestine from 1936-39
• Wingate


  British officer who trained Jewish 'Haganah' units in Palestine.
• Night Squads


  Jewish units trained by Wingate for operations against Arab villages.
• Palestine


  Region where British committed troops to control the Arab revolt.
• Peel Commission


  1937 report recommending the division of Palestine into Arab and Jewish zones.
• MacDonald Report

  1939 report withdrawing the Peel Commission's recommendations for a divided state.
• British Handling

  Adoption of contradictory policies angering Arab and Jewish communities in Palestine.
• Jewish Immigration

  Policy controlled by British authorities in Palestine, causing tension.
• British Forces

  Utilized to suppress the Arab Revolt in Palestine with harsh methods.
• White Paper

  1939 report recommending restrictions on Jewish immigration to Palestine.
• Hostage-taking

  Method used by British forces in Palestine to suppress the Arab Revolt.
• Collective Fines

  Penalties imposed on communities in Palestine for harboring rebellious Arabs.
• Peel Commission Report, 1937

  Suggested two states: Arab in the south, Jewish in the north.
• MacDonald Report (The White Paper), 1939


  Proposed an independent Palestinian state with shared Arab-Jewish governance.
• Population in Palestine/Israel (1880-1973)

  Shows demographic changes over time, including Arab and Jewish populations.
• Illegal Immigration of Jews

  Occurred during WWII to Palestine, despite British opposition.
• Grand Mufti of Jerusalem

  Held talks with Hitler about collaboration during WWII.