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- Jewish History
-
- The Jews are a people with a multitude of dilemmas. From the
- Israelite tribes to the prosperous modern day Israel , bigotry
- towards the Jews has been greatly evident. The Jewish race has
- acted as Escape Goat for many crisis throughout history including
- the black plaque which swept across Europe in the 14th century.
- The establishment of Israel was a great incident was something the
- Jewish people were striving to obtain for generations. This,
- however, led to four major conflicts between Israel and the Arab
- countries. One of the most meaningful wars was the Six-Day War.
- Events such as the holocaust have also had a dramatic effect on
- world history and whose mysteries are still being unravelled.
-
- For twelve years following 1933 the Jews were persecuted by
- the Nazi's. Jewish businesses were boycotted and vandalized. By
- 1939,Jews were no longer citizens,could not attend public
- schools,engage in practically any business or profession, own any
- land, associate with any non-Jew or visit public places such as
- parks and museums. The victories of the German armies in the early
- years of World War II brought the majority of European Jewry under
- the Nazis. The Jews were deprived of human rights. The Jewish
- people were forced to live in Ghetto's which were separated from
- the main city. Hitler's plan of genocide was carried out with
- efficiency. The total number of Jews exterminated has been
- calculated at around 5,750,000.
- In Warsaw ,where approximately 400,000 Jews had once been
- concentrated,was reduced to a population of 60,000. They,virtually
- unarmed, resisted the German deportation order and had held back
- the regular German troops equipped with flame throwers,armoured
- cards, and tanks for nearly a month. This heroism was similar to
- the revolt which took place around 165BC. This uprising was led by
- the Maccabees, a provincial priestly family (also called
- Hasmoneans). They recaptured the Temple and rededicated it to the
- God of Israel. The Maccabees made there last stand on a mountain
- and was able to hold back the syrians for more then a month. There
- is a distinct similarity between the two stories and that is
- possibly why they are both recognised as holidays in the Jewish
- faith.
-
- These horrific events of the holocaust have let to some
- consequences which are beneficial and some are unfortunate to the
- Jewish people. The population of the followers has greatly
- declined. Also the Jewish people after the war still had problems
- finding jobs. They had to essentially start there life over. Most
- of them lost a close relative or at least knew someone who died in
- the gas chambers of the Nazi concentration camps. This has put a
- psychological strain on Jewish survivors or no longer having family
- and friends with them for support. This event has awaken the world
- up to the needs of the Jewish people. It has given them political
- power and a justification for some of their actions.
-
- On May recognised,1945 ,the end of World War II was seen.
- Organized Jewry in the European continent was damaged beyond
- repair. The Jews concentrated on the preservation of Israel and on
- the bringing of Nazi war criminals to trial.
-
- There is a day of commemoration, Holocaust Day, observed in
- Israel and elsewhere on Nisan (April) 19 and 20. The date is
- considered the anniversary of the beginning of the Warsaw Ghetto
- Uprising.
-
- The emergence of Israel as a Jewish state on the former
- territory of Palestine was the central political issue of the
- Middle East after World War II. A movement was established to work
- on the reestablishment of the Jewish national state of Israel.
- This movement was given the name Zionism. The Zionists were full
- of energy,enthusiasm, and skill which led to remarkable
- accomplishments. Israel was a modern European state in an
- underdeveloped area. This was the source of there problems and
- their achievements.
-
- The Jews received vast amounts of financial and military
- support from Western governments. The Israelis also benefitted
- from a highly trained and motivated citizenry to create a unique
- nation-state.
-
- It had taken the Zionists seventy years to purchase 7 per cent
- of Palestine. Now the UN was offering them another 50 per cent.
- The partition plan was objected by all of that Arab and Palestinian
- Arab governments. The Zionists excepted the plan. They however
- were upset that Jerusalem was excluded from the Jewish state.
-
- The Jews were the most fertile land including the citrus
- groves upon which the Arabs depended on for their living. Many of
- the nations of the world felt guilt or grief of the Hitler era.
- This is what is believed to have pressured the United Nations to
- establish a Jewish state.
-
- The partition of Palestine was greatly important to both
- Jewish history and world history. It gave the Jews a place to seek
- refuge in during the Nazi persecutions. This led to a change in
- the nature of Zionist activities. They became more violent. The
- Jewish army called Haganah(defense)was formed to protect Israel
- from Arab attacks. This is remembered as a historic event for it
- has greatly effected the lives of present day Middle East and all
- other countries.
-
- The cause of the Six-Day War of June 1967 was Egypt's closure
- of the Strait of Tiran. This war focused on the issue of Israel's
- legitimacy. Withdrawal of the UN troops after May 16 signified to
- the Israelis that ultimately they would be responsible for their
- own defense. From this war the jews regained control of the West
- Bank of the Jordan River. Syria was pushed by a frontal assault
- through the Golan Heights and threatened Damascus.
-
- The United Nation security council managed to execute a cease-
- fire on June 11th. By this time the Arab states had lost
- territory, much of their productive capacity, and a large amounts
- of revenue. Their mental and political defeat set the tone for the
- events of the following years. The defeat of the Arab governments
- also gave a powerful force to the Palestine guerrilla movement.
-
- The Wailing Wall is on of Judaism's most honoured holy places.
- With the original United Nation's partition it was located in Old
- Jerusalem, previously occupied by Jordan. The Six Day was returned
- it to its rightful owners , Israel.
-
- As is clearly visible through these few examples the Jewish
- race have had a very trailing history. This however is only a
- small representation of the rest of the Jewish problems. War , for
- example, is still present. In 1991 in the Persian Gulf Israel was
- continuously bombed by Iraq. If Israel would have fought back
- chances are there would have had most of the Arabian countries join
- in with Iraq to eliminate the common enemy. Therefor the problems
- are yet not resolved yet it seems there is never a perfect solution
- to any problem.
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- Bibliography
-
- 1. Holocaust : the Jewish tragedy
- Gilbert,Martin,
- COLLI 1986
-
- 2. Israel & the Arabs: The June 1967 War
- Facts on file, INC. New York, N.Y.
- 1968
-
- 3. The Holocaust in Historical Perspective
- Yehuda Bauer
- University of Washington Press
- 1978
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