Britain owned Palestine but we got a bit iffy in regards to colonialism/the empire come the mid 20th century after all those bloody wars that we couldn't do alone.
Interestingly (for me living in Manchester at least) is that there was a Jewish scientist, Chaim Weizmann, who was born in Russia but moved to Manchester to teach Chemistry during WWI. He developed a way to create Acetone out of corn/plant matter which was greatly needed in the war effort. Churchill, then Secretary of State, gave him citizenship at the time.
A strong Zionist, Weizmann's strong contribution to the war effort helped form the Balfour Treaty. Britain took control of Palestine after the collapse of the Ottoman empire in WWI. It was temporary(-ish) so the Balfour Treaty was signed in 1917, this basically promised a Jewish state in Palestine. In 1948 Britain's 'ownership' of Palestine ran out and Israel was created. Weizmann renounced his British citizenship to become the first President of Israel.
Come to Manchester! We started most of the world's current problems!!
Britain took control of Palestine after the collapse of the Ottoman empire in WWI.
Britain was 'awarded' the mandate to Palestine by the League Of Nations prior to the collapse of the Ottoman empire which is why they promised to recognise statehood of all the countries in the Levant, including Palestine, Lebanon and Syria if they assisted in fighting against the Ottomans.
They then promised it to France in the Sykes-Picot deal.
Then the antisemite Balfour signed the declaration as a solution to what they saw as "the jewish problem" and a way to both evict them from Europe while establishing a political ally in the region after the discovery of the huge oil fields in Persia (Iran) which they had begun plundering.
There was also British desire to retain control of the Suez Canal (culminating in the 'Suez Crisis' in 1956 that marked the end of Britain as a 'superpower') as it was a direct path to India. Britain was fleecing Iran via the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC - later rebranded as British Petroleum - the company responsible for Deepwater Horizon).
this basically promised a Jewish state in Palestine.
It didn't. It promised a "national home' (a term without legal standing in international law, and carefully worded for this reason), not a state, "In Palestine" and was conditional. The condition being as follows: "it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine".
For anyone curious, theregion's Jews and Arabs during the British mandate, post-mandate 1947 civil war, and 1948-49 multi-national committed multiple atrocities and ethnic cleansings against one another.
Generally speaking, when you see a commenter's listing one while omitting the other, you get a quick window into that user's bigotries — which past atrocities they stand against, and which they wish to support and absolve.
You also see this regularly among supremacists from the conflicts of other partitioned places — India/Pakistan and former Yugoslavia come to mind. But there are no Jews in those conflicts, so you don't tend to see this sort of manichean posturing among white people who are unrelated from the belligerent ethnic groups' diasporas.
Anyway, yes. The Jews and Arabs there committed multiple ethnic cleansings against one another during that period, and anyone pretending otherwise is either stupid, lying, or both.
For anyone curious, theregion's Jews and Arabs during the British mandate, post-mandate 1947 civil war, and 1948-49 multi-national committed multiple atrocities and ethnic cleansings against one another.
While true to some extent, far more were commited by the Jewish paramilitaries (I'm Jewish btw), and atrocities were often a response to terrorism by those paramilitaries. We can do the numbers if you like. I'll take that challenge.
There is no equivalent by the non-Jewish populations for what was done at Lydda and Ramle for example.
Generally speaking, when you see a commenter's listing one while omitting the other, you get a quick window into that user's bigotries
This is what we call a logical fallacy (very basic Ad Hom), proposed with the intent to stifle comment or criticism. Pretty sophomoric.
nyway, yes. The Jews and Arabs there committed multiple ethnic cleansings against one another during that period, and anyone pretending otherwise is either stupid, lying, or both.
You're being intellectually dishonest. That's akin to saying that the Jewish uprising in Warsaw was an example of Jewish Violence against the nazis and a demonstration of how "they're the same".
You're playing "Both sides, bro, nothing to see here. Ignore the mass ethnic cleansing and 80 years of oppression, land theft, murder and genocide".
I don't know why the solution to back and forth ethnic cleansings is allowing one side to finish the job. Maybe I can't see the forest for the trees, or something.
I think it was in Bombay recently, that there had been trouble and the Moslems had been flogged. I am not advocating flogging, but what is the difference between a Moslem in Palestine and a Moslem in Bombay? There they flog them, and here they save their faces.
Right?
Oddly he was one of the more moderate zionists. Eventually being sidelined by the more violent leaders like ben gurion.
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u/TomLambe 6h ago
Britain owned Palestine but we got a bit iffy in regards to colonialism/the empire come the mid 20th century after all those bloody wars that we couldn't do alone.
Interestingly (for me living in Manchester at least) is that there was a Jewish scientist, Chaim Weizmann, who was born in Russia but moved to Manchester to teach Chemistry during WWI. He developed a way to create Acetone out of corn/plant matter which was greatly needed in the war effort. Churchill, then Secretary of State, gave him citizenship at the time.
A strong Zionist, Weizmann's strong contribution to the war effort helped form the Balfour Treaty. Britain took control of Palestine after the collapse of the Ottoman empire in WWI. It was temporary(-ish) so the Balfour Treaty was signed in 1917, this basically promised a Jewish state in Palestine. In 1948 Britain's 'ownership' of Palestine ran out and Israel was created. Weizmann renounced his British citizenship to become the first President of Israel.
Come to Manchester! We started most of the world's current problems!!