CLASS 8 | A State is Born
ISRAEL INSIDE/OUT
CLASS 8
A state is born
Goals (students will be able to):
•U n de r sta nd the re g io na l co nt ext in which t he S t at e of Israel was built
• Identify the significance of the Hebrew language’s revival and the imagery of
the Israeli flag
• Identify the number of Arab and Jewish refugees in 1 948
• Identify the main points highlighted in the Declaration of Independence
Intro
(1 minute)
In previous classes we looked at the building of the State of Israel, from the Balfour Declaration to the Partition Plan. We also saw how many Jews took different routes to build a Jewish
State. Today we will look at how the State of Israel successfully established its independence
while facing tremendous challenges and impossible odds. We will look at the refugees of
1 948, along with the symbolism of the Israeli flag and the revival of Hebrew as a once ancient
language, now reborn.
Play “a state is born”
Discussion
(8 minutes)
(5 minutes)
In this film we learned about:
• Arab protesters rioting and the violence that increased in the year leading
up to May 1 948, when Israel was approaching Statehood
• Individual regions that were attacked, such as the Gush Etzion enclave
• The battle of Deir Yassin, in which 1 00 Arab fighters and civilians were killed,
and the retaliation, in which almost 80 Jewish doctors and nurses were killed
on their way to the Hadassah Hospital.
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ISRAEL INSIDE/OUT
CLASS 8
Question: Based on the information in the film, what do you think are Israel’s goals for its relationship
with its Arab neighbors? Which information indicates this?
• Israel’s leaders made it clear that their goal was to live in peace
with their eighbors . They indicated this by accepting the UN Plan of
1947, though Arab leaders rejected the offer.
• Together with their declaration of Statehood came an invitation of
Possible
Answers
peace , an offer of citizenship to Arabs , and the establishment of
Arabic and Hebrew as dual national languages .
• Israel upholds humanitarian ideals , including open democracy and
equal rights for all, Israelis and Arabs alike .
Question: On May 1 4, 1 948, the last day of the British Mandate, the British lowered their flag
and the Jews immediately raised their own. What does the Israeli flag symbolize?
Answer:
• The white color represents newness and purity.
• The two blue stripes , the color of heaven, symbolize the “talit” (Jewish prayer shawl).
• The Star of David is called a Magen David, literally the “shield of David.”
• These symbols represent the Israeli people’s desire to exist in peace , and are meant
to communicate that Israel does not want to conquer or dominate.
Discussion: On July 7, 1902, while meeting the Royal Commission on Alien Immigration in
London, Herzl was asked why Russian Jews could not be settled in uninhabited lands other
than Palestine, such as Argentina, he replied:
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ISRAEL INSIDE/OUT
CLASS 8
“[Such resettlement would fail] because when you want a great settlement, you must have a flag
and an idea. You cannot make those things only with money... With money you cannot make a
general movement of a great mass of people. You must give them an ideal. You must put into them
the belief in their future, and then you will be able to take out the devotion of the hardest labor
imaginable. [For example,] Argentina has a very good soil and the conditions for agricultural
labor are much better better than in Palestine, but in Palestine they work with enthusiasm and
they succeed. I am not speaking of artificially-made colonies, but self-helping colonies, which
have that great national idea.” (Israel: A History, p. 21)
What do you think the “idea” that Herzl believes will inspire the masses is? How is the flag a
central component of that “idea”?
In a Knesset speech in 2006, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said:
“The truth is that if Israel were to put down its arms there would be no more Israel. If
the Arabs were to put down their arms there would be no more war.”
Discuss: What did Netanyahu mean by this? Do you agree or disagree?
Activity
(7 minutes)
Give “Handout 1 – The Declaration of Independence,” pages one through three, to the students.
Ask each student to read one of the bolded paragraphs out loud. Hearing the words will help
them understand the context of the State’s founding.
Afterwards, ask student volunteers to discuss whether this was what they had expected or
whether they were surprised. Would they have written anything differently?
After the students have read through Israel’s Declaration of Independence, ask them to highlight,
from within the text, the rights upon which the founding fathers of the re-established Jewish
State of Israel founded it.
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ISRAEL INSIDE/OUT
CLASS 8
Answers could include: References to Biblical Jewish claims to the land, Herzl, Balfour Declaration; Holocaust; United Nations; complete equality regardless of religion or race; specific appeal
for peace.
1.Ask students what was the context in which the Israeli Declaration of
Independence was written?
2.Who wrote it? When?
3.What else was going on at this time? 4.How might this context affect the language of the Declaration?
• The Declaration was written during a chaotic time in which
civil war broke out between Arabs and Jews.
• The writers were unsure of the future state.
Possible
• The writers did not want to offend either the religious or
Answers
secular population.
After going through the Declaration, have the class think about Israel over the past 65 years. Conclude with the conversation about Zionism today. Some possible questions could be:
• What does the “Zionist dream” mean to you?
• In what ways do you think Israel has realized the Zionist dream (however you
define it), and in what ways has it fallen short?
• What are your hopes for Israel in 65 years from now?
play “the war of independence”
discussion
(9 minutes)
(7 minutes)
Once the British left, Israel was allowed to import arms and defend itself. Israel’s army was
mostly comprised of refugees and Holocaust survivors, often fighting against established and
well-trained armies. After an entire year of fighting, a ceasefire was declared in 1 949. Israel lost
4,000 people, or 1 % of its population.
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ISRAEL INSIDE/OUT
CLASS 8
Question: Israel lost about 4,000 soldiers, or 1 % of its population. Is that a lot or a little? Answer: For the growing State , 1% was a lot. Imagine the US losing 1% of its
population – that would be three million people. Though it occurred under ver y different
circumstances , 9/11 was a major tragedy in the US, and 1/10,000th of a percent of the
population was killed.
Results of the War:
The armistice lines, which came under Israeli control, covered approximately three-quarters of
Mandate Palestine. This was about one-third more than was allocated to the Jewish State under
the UN partition proposal. The armistice lines were known afterwards as the “Green Line”. The
Gaza Strip and the West Bank were occupied by Egypt and Transjordan, respectively.
The Green Line was drawn roughly along the current boundar y between Israel and the
West Bank. It received this name when the boundaries were drawn; the diplomats used
a green pencil during cease fire negotiations .
After capturing the West Bank during the war, King Abdullah officially changed the name of Transjordan to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in April 1949.
Jerusalem would be divided as follows:
• The Old City, the Western Wall and the site of Solomon’s Temple (including the Muslim
mosque called the Dome of the Rock) remained in Jordanian control.
• The New City lay on the Israeli side of the line.
• Although the West Bank remained under Jordanian control until 1967, only two
countries, Britain and Pakistan, granted “de jure” recognition of the annexation.
Ask the students to define “armistice.”
Definition: “A cessation of arms for a short time, by convention; a temporary suspension of
hostilities by agreement; a truce.” 5
ISRAEL INSIDE/OUT
CLASS 8
Important Points: The 1948 War of Independence resulted in a decisive Israeli victor y and a
devastating loss for the Arabs. Israel unified its population and gained international support. By
April 1949, fifty-three nations, including Great Britain, had extended recognition to the Jewish
State. In May 1949, the UN General Assembly, from a recommendation of the Security Council,
admitted Israel to the United Nations.
Lastly, Israel gained not only territor y from the war, but also increased the financial support of
world Jewr y and absorbed hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees from Europe and the Middle
East. This allowed the new State to develop the infrastructure necessary to absorb and integrate
a diverse nation into the unified and vibrant society that we know today.
Question: When the Jordanians took over the West Bank and the Egyptians took over the
Gaza strip, who was living there? Were they looking to form their own State? Why did Egypt and
Jordan not establish a Palestine?
Answer: Arab Palestinians were living there , but there was no Palestinian national
identity. The Egyptians and Jordanians were uninterested in developing a new State ,
and there was no Palestinian national movement or attempt to create a State in these
territories.
Question: What are some of the other significant points that came up in the film?
• The miraculous nature of Jewish survival.
• There was no Arab recognition of Israel after the war.
• The number of Arab refugees from Israel and Jewish refugees who
Possible
Answers
had been kicked out of Arab lands. There were more Jewish refugees
than Arab, but Israel made a concer ted effor t to absorb the Jewish
refugees, while the Arab refugees were never given that oppor tunity
by other Arab nations .
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ISRAEL INSIDE/OUT
CLASS 8
Question: What were the difficulties that the State of Israel dealt with in absorbing Jewish
refugees?
Answer:
• Because it was a new State , it had little infrastructure in place.
• There were huge numbers of refugees compared to the Israeli population.
• Israel had to deal with absorption under the constant threats of terrorism and war.
• Refugees came from ver y different cultural groups . For example, the Ashkenazim and
Sephardim came from different countries with different customs , backgrounds , etc .
• All the refugees and citizens were learning a new language: Hebrew.
Activity
Have students work with a partner to research and prepare a presentation about the histor y and
culture of Jews from one of the Arab countries. Have students research the following information:
• What is a “Mizrahi Jew”?
• When and why did the Jews arrive in that country?
• What was the largest point of Jewish population in the country, and what is it
today?
• What contributions did the Jewish communities make to the area?
• Which traditions and customs of Mizrahi Jews did that community take with
them and continue to obser ve?
Lastly, have students answer the following two questions:
• In what ways does knowing the story about the Jews of Arab lands impact your
understanding of the histor y of the Jewish people?
• In what ways does knowing the story about the Jews of Arab lands impact your
feelings toward the State of Israel?
Play “The People and the Land”
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(3 minutes)
ISRAEL INSIDE/OUT
CLASS 8
In this past clip we saw how Jews have moved from around the world to come to Israel. To this
day, Jews continue to return to their Homeland, and every different group that arrives brings a
unique flavor that adds to Israel’s diversity.
QUIZ
(10 MINUTES)
G i v e “ Handout II – Declaring Statehood” t o t he st udent s. Allow t hem 5 minutes
to write the answers, and then go over each question one by one, asking students to show
hands for the answers they chose.
APPENDIX I contains the answers to the student handout. The Answer Key should not be
given to the students, but it can be used by the teacher to assist the students. Explain why the
answers are incorrect or correct. It is important to review each possible answer, as students
can learn as much from an incorrect answer as from a correct one.
Resources:
1) The Birth of the Israeli Air Force - http://vimeo.com/54400569
2) The Truth About the Refugees: Israel Palestinian Conflict - www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_3A6_qSBBQ
3) The United Nations General Assembly Votes to Partition Palestine (Audio) - http://www.isracast.com/
article.aspx?ID=266
4) 1948, Israel, and the Palestinians—
The True Story - http://www.commentarymagazine.com/article/1948-israel-and-thepalestinians%E2%80%94the-true-story/
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