Birth of a Nation

The First 2000 Years

Judea / Israel First settled approximately 4,000

years ago. Jews were given the region by

GOD The “Promised Land”

Was fought over by many kingdoms

Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans

61 BCE – Romans arrive Pontius Pilate – Jesus – Start of

anti Semitism “Jews were the killers of

Jesus” 79 CE – Judea tried to rebel –

was violently crushed and Herod’s Temple was destroyed. (Western / Wailing Wall)

Jews began to leave Judea and settled in every region under Roman control.

Tradition of Anti Semitism The collapse of the Roman

Empire in the West – 480 CE Jews adopt some customs

and language of the locals. But are still culturally

different Are not prohibited from

usury and so become money lenders etc in the west. In the east they become peasants.

Shakespeare’s Shylock in Merchant of Venice

The stereotype is born 640 CE – The Arabs (later

Ottomans) take over the region Persecution was sporadic

by both Muslims and Christians (Crusades)

Zionism

In the late 1800s a nationalist movement developed on the idea that Jews should have their own homeland.

1897, Dr. Theodore Herzl became president of the World Zionist Federation in Basle, Switzerland.

Their slogan was “Let us be like all other nations.” Their vision was a new state of Israel that Jewish

people from around the world could call home. The group split though on the practicality of returning to

the Middle East (Zionist Majority) or some other territory in the world (Territorialists Minority)

At one time Great Britain offered parts of its empire (Egypt and Uganda) but backed down from the deal.

The End of the Beginning During World War One, the

Ottoman Empire fought on the side of Germany. British sponsored Arabs

to rebel against them Lawrence of Arabia

By 1919, the British had occupied the region of Palestine

Was given “permission” to hold onto it until a decision could be made

Balfour Declaration – pledge of British to set the area aside for Jews.

The Shoah

Migration to Palestine was modest in the inter war years.

Many Jews in Europe were settled and had lived there for generations.

Many believed that the right wing anti Semitism was an attempt to get votes. The end result was the

Holocaust and the death of 6 million Jews – most from Eastern Europe

A Renewed Hope

After the collapse of Nazi Germany. The Survivors wanted to

leave Europe British could not

accommodate them in Palestine and tried to restrain them.

They did want to but as more refugees arrived, the Arabs became more violent.

The British were stuck in the middle and wanted out.

Every day 100s of survivors were arriving and setting up in Palestine and demanding political rights.

Jewish Resistance

As Arabs organised attacks against the settlers and the British tried to arrest them, the Jews armed themselves. Haganah – self defence

force Irgun – terrorist

organisation The Irgun set a bomb off in

the King David Hotel (British Headquaters)

Executed 2 British Soldiers 1948 – the British leave