George Washington University
Washington D.C.
A Brief History of Israel, Second Edition
Copyright © 2008, 2005 by Bernard Reich
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Reich, Bernard.
A brief history of Israel / Bernard Reich. — 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-7126-5
ISBN-10: 0-8160-7126-8
1. Israel—History. 2. Arab-Israeli conflict. I. Title.
DS 126.5.R37 2008
956.9405—dc22 2008003838
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xv
srael’sbeginningswereinauspicious.ItsDeclarationofIndependence,
lofty in ideals and objectives, was promulgated in a land of limited
potential and greeted with a declation of war by its neighbors. Nearly
six decades later, Israel continues to face some, albeit fewer, hostile
neighbors and its economic prospects are bright. While its democratic
system has been buffeted by challenges never imagined, such as the
assassination of a prime minister by a Jewish extremist, it has weathered
them to sustain its parliamentary structure and Western-style liberal
democracy. Israel’s prospects are substantial, although both adversity
and challenges seem to grow with each new accomplishment.
The modern State of Israel is the world’s only Jewish state and a
product of Zionism, an ideology that draws from history and religion,
from the ancient connection of the Jewish people to the Jewish state.
Israel is small in both size and population. It is located in southwestern
Asia on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and borders Egypt,
Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. It declared its independence on May 14,
1948, within the territory of the Palestine mandate, in accordance with
the United Nations partition plan of 1947. Jerusalem is Israel’s capital
and the seat of its government. Most countries, including the United
States, continue to maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.
The Jewish connection to the “Land of Israel” (in Hebrew, Eretz
Yisrael) is a recurrent theme in Jewish tradition and writing and can
be traced to the period of the patriarchs of Judaism (Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob) around the 17th century B.C.E. The Exodus of the Jews from
Egypt and the conquest of Canaan were followed by the establishment
and consolidation of the Kingdom of Israel under Kings Saul, David,
and Solomon. Subsequent defeats of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judea,
the destruction of the Temple, and the dispersion of the Jews in the
Diaspora (Jewish communities outside Israel) provide the base for the
linkage of the Jews to the Land of Israel. The desire of the Jews to return
to the historical homeland as recorded in the Bible was expressed in the
period of the Babylonian exile and became a universal Jewish theme
after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.
For nearly 3,000 years, the Jews yearned to return to the Land of
Israel where their early kingdoms existed. Since biblical days, Jews of
A BRIEF HISTORY OF ISRAEL
xvi
the Diaspora have hoped that they would return to Zion, the “Promised
Land,” where the ancient Jewish state had been, as described in the
Bible. Over the centuries, Zionism focused on spiritual, religious,
cultural, social, and historical links between Jews and the Holy Land.
Political Zionism (Jewish nationalism), with the establishment of a
Jewish state as its goal, developed in 19th-century Europe, mostly as a
response to anti-Semitism then prevalent in those societies.
The Jewish yearning and the Zionist efforts reached culmination in the
declaration of an independent Jewish state of Israel in May 1948. But that
declaration, lofty in ideals and objectives, was greeted by a declaration
of war by its neighbors and their like-minded allies. From that point to
this day, Israel has continued to face hostile neighbors not yet reconciled
to the existence of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel. The modern history
of Israel is thus recounted in the wars it has fought with its Arab
neighbors who have challenged its right to exist and with the efforts
by terrorists to prevent Israel from sustaining its democratic political
system. The democratic and liberal political system marked by dramatic
achievements and accomplishments in its economy, science, technology,
education, society, and the arts, has nevertheless endured. Israel’s exercise
of its democratic concepts through elections for parliament and for prime
srael’s eternal optimism that it will persevere and overcome
adversity has emerged in numerous ways, including this widely
told story.
Things are going badly for Israel.The economy is in a tailspin, inflation
is rising, and immigrants are flooding into the country from all
over the globe. Problems, problems, problems, but what to do? The
Knesset (parliament) holds a special session to devise a solution.After
several hours of debate without progress, one member stands up and
says, “Quiet everyone, I’ve got the solution to all our problems. We’ll
declare war on the United States. Of course, we’ll lose. The United
States does what it always does when it defeats a country: It rebuilds
everything—our highways, airports, shipping ports, schools, hospitals,
factories—and loans us money and sends us food aid. Our problems
would be over.”
Another member quickly responds,“Sure, that’s if we lose. But what
if we win?”
xvii
minister, as well as in numerous other ways, have also become significant
watersheds in the history of the state.
The special relationship between Israel and the United States is perhaps
the most interesting, if complex, achievement of Israel’s diplomacy
and foreign policy. Although the United States was a dispassionate,
almost uninterested midwife at Israel’s birth, and U.S. policy toward it
evoked substantial and sometimes rancorous debate in U.S. policy circles,
a “special relationship” has developed in which the overall nature
of U.S. support for the existence and security of its small and embattled
ally remains unquestioned, despite occasional areas of discord on specific
matters. The United States and Israel are joined in an unparalleled
relationship aimed at assuring Israel’s survival, security, and well-being.
This relationship rests on emotional, ideological, and moral pillars and
commitment to democratic ideals and principles buttressed by strategic
and political elements. This too has been a major factor in Israel’s
modern history.
Israel is a country seemingly always on the move, rushing from issue
to issue and problem to problem. In the short period since the first edition
of this book was published momentous events have taken place.
Most notably, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered an incapacitating
stroke. The seemingly “indispensable man” at the center of Israeli politics
was poised to lead his new party—Kadima—to a significant election
victory. He would have continued with his unilateral moves toward withdrawal
from additional parts of the West Bank in order to improve Israel’s
security and regional position in the absence of a Palestinian peace partner.
When he was suddenly removed from the scene, his departure from
politics permitted and necessitated the ascent of a new generation of
leaders who had not been directly a part of Israel’s founding past.
In the summer of 2006, a seventh Arab-Israeli war, initiated by
Hizballah, dramatically altered the regional landscape, pointing to a
changed balance of power and an increasing role for Iran, which continued
to call for Israel’s elimination.
In addition to these developments, the past several years have seen
the withdrawal of all Israelis—civilians and soldiers—from the Gaza
Strip after 38 years of presence there, the formation of a new centrist
political party that proved successful in its first electoral outing
by becoming the largest party in the state and the leader of the new
government, and a number of scandals, including one involving the
president. However, there was no appreciable movement toward peace,
security, or acceptance in the region.
INTRODUCTION
A BRIEF HISTORY OF ISRAEL
xviii
Against all odds and despite overwhelming Arab (and other) opposition,
Israel celebrated the 60th anniversary of the United Nations
Partition Plan for Palestine of November 1947 (that terminated the
British mandate of Palestine and divided the area into a Jewish state, an
Arab state, and a special international regime for the Greater Jerusalem
area) and of the independence of Israel declared on May 14, 1948.
In those six decades Israel became a modern, democratic state with
substantial economic accomplishments and scientific achievements.
However, the quest for peace continues and—despite peace treaties
with Egypt and Jordan—Israel remains at war with other Arab neighbors
and faces threats from Iran. These factors are all connected in the
story that is told here.