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First Session of the First Zionist Congress
The objective of Zionism was to form a legally recognized Jewish homeland in Palestine. The leaders met annually and organized international Zionist movement. It sought the support of the Great Power Britain -
Arab National Manifesto
The Arab Nationalist Manifesto was published, which called for independence from Turkey and unity among the Arabs -
Beginning of the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence
This was a series of letters between the British High Commissioner and the Sherif of Mecca. McMahon was discussing with Hussein that, in return for helping to defeat the Ottoman Empire during World War I, the British would recognize the Arab’s independence and help them govern their new land. This was significant because it led Hussein to believe that the British would let Arabs rule the land left by the Turks and yet the British decided to stay after the war ended. -
Creation of the Sykes-Picot Agreement
This was a secret agreement between France and Britain to divide the Ottoman Empire’s land between them. This is important because it seems to contradict the letters between McMahon and Hussein which angered the Arabs. -
The Great Arab Revolt
In 1916 an Arab army was raised and led by Prince Faisal, the son of the Sharif of Mecca. The army blew up Turkish trains and disrupted the flow of military supplies to the Turkish soldiers. The activities of this Arab army are well known because an English army intelligence officer T.E. Lawrence, who became known in Britain as 'Lawrence of Arabia', fought with the Arabs. -
Balfour Declaration Written
This was a letter from the British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour. It declared Britain’s support for a national home for Jewish people in Palestine. This was significant because the British hoped that this would gain them the support of the United States during World War. This was also significant regarding the war to follow because its ambiguity led to controversy over whether or not Britain endorsed a Jewish state in Palestine. -
End of World War I
Turks were defeated by Britain and the Allies, with Arab support. Arabs believed they were promised independence by Britain. -
Feisal-Weizmann Agreement
This was an economic agreement between the two powers. This was significant because Faisal accepted Jewish immigration into Palestine because it would benefit him monetarily. -
Agreement on Article 22 (League of Nations)
The Article spoke about the idea of self-determination. This is important because it seems to go against how the European powers entered the Middle-East after the war. This was significant because, according to the document, the Palestinians should have been able to decide what was to be done with their land. -
King-Crane Commision
A U.S. commission of inquiry sent to Syria and Palestine in 1919 to investigate the wishes of the populace regarding the political future of the territories. The King - Crane Commission found that the inhabitants of Syria and Palestine opposed being placed under a mandate. After Wilson returned to the United States and fell ill, there was no follow-up, for he was too weak and no other person appeared sufficiently interested to press the matter in the face of the very strong French opposition. -
Hitler Came to Power
When Hitler came to power in Germany he persecuted the Jews. The Jews then migrated to Palestine and caused the population to increase significantly. This then led to many economic and social problems, causing more discontent. -
The Arab Rebellion
Arabs call for a general strike to protest “unfair” treatment’ Arabs and Jews attack each other as well as the British: British set up infrastructure for a future Jewish state; Arabs are punished. -
Report From the Peel Commssion
This recommended the partition of Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab state. It was unaccepted by the Jews because they wanted more land than offered and it was unaccepted by the Arabs who were angered by the division of what they considered their land. This is significant because the British were greatly imposing in order to make a major change in Palestine. -
Creation of 1939 White Paper
This was when Britain condoned their support of a Jewish state in Palestine by limiting Jewish immigration. This was important because it increased Jewish resentment towards Britain who previously seemed to support the idea of a Jewish national home, or even possibly a state, in Palestine. -
Biltmore Program
Zionist leaders, headed by Chaim Weizmann and David Ben-Gurion, gathered at the Biltmore Hotel in New York and declared this postwar program. The program suggested an end to the British Mandate and demanded Jewish control over immigration to Palestine with the aim of founding a Jewish "Commonwealth." -
Creation of UNSCOP
The General Assembly to propose a solution to the Palestine problem. The majority report recommended the formation of two politically independent state Majority opinion-partition into two states with an economic union. The plan was approved by the General Assembly by a narrow majority over the objection of the Arab and Muslim states. -
Agreement on UN Resolution 181
An agreement that was signed on January 3, 1919 as part of the Paris Peace Conference. It attempted to settle disputes stemming from World War I. It was a short-lived agreement for Arab-Jewish cooperation on the development of a Jewish homeland in Palestine and an Arab nation in a large part of the Middle East. -
Deir Yassin Massacre
Zionists groups attacked Deir Yassin, a Palestinian-Arab village. The massacre of Palestinian Arabs stands as the starkest early warning of a calculated depopulation of over 400 Arab villages and cities and the expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinian inhabitants to make room for survivors of the Holocaust and other Jews from the rest of the world. -
Ben-Gurion Proclaimed the Independence of the State of Israel
This event is significant because it angered other countries in the Middle East and led to an invasion which killed many. Israel won because the opponent’s armies were poorly led, poorly equipped, and poorly trained. The Palestinians also became partitioned among Israel, Egypt, and Transjordan. -
Arab-Israeli Armistice
Israel and Arab states agree to armistice. Israel gained about 50% more territory than was originally allotted to it by the UN Partition Plan.
