What was the Jewish claim to Palestine?
The Jewish claim to Palestine was that it was the land where their ancestors (the Israelites) lived some thousand years ago, before the Romans expelled the Jews. The land that was known as Palestine was, according to the Jews, their "Promised Land".
What was the importance of the Balfour Declaration?
The importance of the Balfour Declaration is that it was the first time that the British government expressed their interest in creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The British government showed sympathy for the Jewish people in part because they were in the middle of the war with Germany and they thought the Jews in America could influence their government's actions and therefore bring the US into the war on Britain's side. Another important thing to note about the Balfour Declaration is that it stated that by creating a homeland in Palestine for the Jewish people, it would in no way harm the people that lived there at the present time, which as we can see today has not been the case.
What was the Arab claim to Palestine?
The Arabs originally lived in what's now Saudi Arabia and they all spoke Arabic, and converted to Islam in the seventh century AD. From then on, they spread their language, religion, and culture to the rest of the Middle East (including Palestine) as well as northern Africa. Arabs now form the majority of the population of the Middle East. The Ottoman Turks conquered a lot of the Middle East in the sixteenth century and the Arabs, hoping to re-establish Arab unity in the Middle East, beginning with rule over the lands they once owned, including Palestine. In 1913, the Arab Nationalist Manifesto, calling for Arab unity and independence, was published. Arabs wished to rule all of the land they once ruled, which included Palestine.
To what extent was WWI a turning point in the struggle for Arab independence?
It was a turning point for the struggle for Arab independence in part due to Britain. Britain had been using oil to fuel its ships during WWI and this oil came from Persia (now known as Iran). Fearing that their oil supply would be cut off by Turkey, the British encouraged the Arabs to fight against the Turks and try and gain their independence. Great Britain promised Hussein, the Sharif of Mecca, in 1915 that if the Arabs fought against the Turks, Britain would support their cause for independence. In 1916 the Arab Revolt occurred and it ended with Britain taking the city of Damascus, Syria, from the Turks.
Why did Britain and France want mandates in the Middle East?
Britain and France wanted mandates in the Middle East for a few reasons. For one, the war was not going well and Britain wanted to maintain close ties with France, and working together in the Middle East would encourage this. Also, trading links between the Middle East with France and Britain were important to maintain. Finally, Britain wanted access to the Suez Canal because it would make trips to India (part of the British Empire) easy and also, Britain wanted access of newly discovered oil fields in the Persian Gulf. Britain also saw Palestine as a buffer zone between the Suez Canal and the land to the east. Mandates in the Middle East were beneficial to Britain and France for these reasons.
Question of the Week; To what extent was the west responsible for the creation of Israel?
From what I can see, the west was very responsible for the creation of Israel, although I don't have all of the facts yet. The idea was proposed by European Jews originally and then through Britain, the idea gained support in both Britain and the United States. I feel like without Britain and the US, the Jews would not have had enough outside support to be able to create their own homeland in an already occupied area.
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