Week 5 - Question

This week we watched a video about the 1948 War for Independence and its aftermath.

Next, as you can see in the post below, we started our look at the 1967 Six-Day War with this famous photograph.  We then talked about the reasons for Israel's pre-emptive attacks and watched a video about the war itself.

At the end of the post there is a link to some current questions being raised about the war - what was the cost of the victory?  What current issues are connected back to it?

In your response to this and the previous post, share some of your thoughts about what we saw today.  What does this war mean to Israelis?  To Palestinians?  To you and your thinking about this ongoing conflict?

1967: The Six-Day War

This iconic photograph by David Rubinger from the Six-Day War will be the basis for our look at the conflict, the events leading up to it, and its aftermath.  Who are these soldiers?  Where are they?  What are they thinking about?  Why has this photograph become "the property of the entire nation"?

Here is a timeline we'll use today.

What were the successes?  The Failures?  The Controversies?

Here are links to documentaries we'll watch today:  Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

Here is a brief overview of the war from the Israeli Minister of Fogeign Affairs website

Here are commentaries about the Long Term Causes and the Arab Threats Against Israel.

And lastly, this brief overview of some questions being asked upon the 40th anniversary of the war.

Origins of the Israeli-Arab Conflict

Here are some links to documentaries found on YouTube:

The Promised Land? Part 1

The Promised Land? Part 2

Homework Response 11-14-10

May 14, 1948 - Two Perspectives

Today in class we started by looking back at the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel, noting how it shows a progression of history leading up to the establishment of a Jewish homeland.  We also discussed the different meanings of the phrase "Rock of Israel" in the conclusion, indicating both the physical land and God.

Next, we looked at a documentary about the day of the Declaration and its immediate aftermath, from people dancing in the streets to the start of war.

Why war?

At the beginning of class today, we went around and named things that come to mind when we think of "home": food, safety, sleep, music, comfort, and family were among the top responses.  To explore the idea of "home" further, we looked at pictures of Palestine before 1948 and were surprised at what we saw - cities teeming with people, all of whom thought of the land as their "home."

To join in the celebration, we all learned and danced the "Mayim" - a song of joy and celebration.

We concluded by working in pairs to read a document showing both the Israeli and Palestinian narratives of 1948.

You can find a copy of it here - we read chapter 2.

For next time, please respond to this message with a short version of the perspective you read - what does that population have to say about this event?

Declaration of Israel's Independence - Multiple Perspectives - Resources

Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel (official)

Arab League Declaration in response to Israeli Declaration

Wikipedia entry on Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel

US recognition of the State of Israel - Truman archives

Wikipedia entry on Arab-Israeli War

Documentary film on Arab-Israeli War

Two narratives

Mayim for Israeli Dance

Discussion topic for 11-7-2010

Today we read and discussed the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel.  Here are links to two version of it:
Version #1
Version #2

We talked about which section of the Declaration was most important at the time.

For next week, please answer this question:

Which section of the Declaration is most important to Israel today?  Which section is most problematic?  Why?

Questions and Observations from Founding of Israel video

Jewish-American support for the State of Israel - military support / joining the Haganah

How did Palestineans react to the new state?

Not a lot of Jews going to Israel after the nation was founded - mostly funding

Both Arabs and Jews expecting a war

Now the Jews have a country to live in and run

Israel needed US financial support

How to balance happiness for country but concerns over war?

People glued to radio to hear the United Nations vote

What did people in the US think?

The State of Israel had to be approved by a vote

Why did the Soviet Union support the founding of the State of Israel?

How did they already have a national flag?  National anthem?

Dancing and celebrating - the Hora!

Why did the Arab countries declare war?

What were people's reactions to Israel?

IS the US taking too much credit for the success of Israel?

Declaration of Israel's Independence

Founding of Israel Video

Declaration documentary - English subtitles

Zippy's letters

Text of Declaration

United States of America - Declaration of Independence

David Ben Gurion's Independence Speech

USA recognizes State of Israel

Hatikva - Bergen-Belsen

Hatikva - Background

Declaration - document

Zippy letters - questions

Sinai Campaign by David and Eli

On August 31, 1955, the President of Egypt announced that Egypt would be going to war with Israel.

"Egypt has decided to dispatch her heroes, the disciples of pharaoh and the
sons of Islam and they will cleanse the Land of Israel....There will be no peace
on Israel's border because we demand vengeance, and vengeance is Israel's
death."

Egypt did this by blocking almost all trade routs from Africa and Asia to Israel, and by causing a ruckus in the bordering cities. Israel, who had allied with France and England, retaliated by taking back control of the trade routs, and by seizing the entire Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula. The United States' view was that Israel should retreat out of Egyptian territory.

Sources:

http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1948to1967_sinai_backgd.php

http://www.adl.org/israel/record/sinai.asp

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/56iaf.html