The First Arab-Israeli War and the Palestinian Refugee Problem - Essay Example

RESPONSE PAPER Partition: The First Arab-Israeli War and the Palestinian Refugee Problem Response The first Arab-Israeli War has many connotations that continue to influence the relationships between Jews, Arabs, and Palestinians today. It is saddening the Palestinians had to suffer an unforeseen fate after abandonment by the Jews and Arabs altogether following departure of the British. I agree with you when you mention the Arabs and Palestinians were ill prepared to face the newly born Israeli state.

The Israeli made preemptive plans to occupy and control areas the Arabs would demand in the aftermath of British departure1. After American abandonment of Israel, a Jewish state in the midst of Arab and Palestinian enemies, I agree with you in claiming it was inevitable for Israel to militarize in order to realize and sustain their interests in the Middle East2. Finally, even though Israel had to militarize fast, the motive of partitioning remains unknown, and I agree when you claim the war resulted from a multiplicity of factors at local, national, and international levels.

Response 2 For many years, the Middle East has been a region of frequent conflicts, and even today violence beginning with the Arab revolution spread throughout the region with unimaginable consequences of their social, political, economic, and cultural organization. Many wars in the Middle East could be avoided, but local, national, regional and international interests make war inevitable, and I agree when you employ this applies to the first Arab-Israeli War. It is true Palestinians were ill prepared for the war, and these questions the motives for the war.

I believe the war resulted from differences between Britain and America over the fate of the Middle East. Considering the arms embargo, America’s abandonment of Israel, and disunity between Arab countries about the Palestinian crisis, I agree when you claim Britain, America, and Arab countries were concerned about gaining territorial possessions than they were about the crisis in Palestine. Therefore, the fate of Palestine was influenced by interplay between various factors. Bibliography Shemesh, Moshe.

  The Palestinian Society in the Wake of the 1948 War:  From Social Fragmentation to Consolidation.  Israel Studies, spring 2004, Vol 9 Issue 1, pp 86-100