Flyer given out on May 5, 2006SHE'S 5000 YEARS OLD
BUT LOOKS 58!This week was Israel's 58th birthday. Here are some facts.
5000 years ago, the biblical patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were giving birth to the Jewish People. Israel's first king was Saul (1000 years before Christ), followed by David, who made Jerusalem his capital, and then Solomon.
In 63 before Christ, the Romans forced many Jews into exile. But a great number never left. Therefore, there has always been a Jewish presence in Israel.
In 132 of our era, the Romans stopped an ultimate Jewish revolt against them. They changed the name of Israel to "Palaestina".
In 634, it's the Arab conquest. It lasts until 1071. After that date, the Arabs never had authority again in that region. There were the Crusades (1099 to 1291), then the Turks (1516 to 1917). During all those centuries, no name was given to the Land of Israel. The territory was divided into administrative districts and was completely neglected.
At the begining of the 19th century, the territory had only 250 000 people (Jews, Arabs and Christians). Most Arabs were nomads and had no notion of homeland. Mark Twain visited the region and describes it as arid and desolate. The cities were in ruin, forests had disappeared. There were mostly deserts and marshes.
At the begining of the 20th century, European Jews immigrated to the region. Others arrived later, forced to leave Moslem countries. They bought wastelands and developed agriculture. They dried up marshes, planted trees and revitalized the economy. Arabs from neighbouring countries were attracted to the area.
1918: the British chased the Turks and used again the name of "Palestine".
1920: the local Arabs begin to define themselves as Palestinians. They regularly murder Jews and Christians.
1922: England amputates 70% of Palestine to create Jordan. More than 80% of Jordanians are in fact Palestinian Arabs. A Palestinian State has therefore been created in 1922!
By 1945, the Jews of Palestine had built the infrastructure of a true State. They also had a national identity.
1947: the United Nations propose the creation of two States: one Jewish and one Arab. The Arabs refuse. The Jews accept.
1948: it's the birth of Israel. The next day, May 15, five Arab countries attack Israel! Arab countries will attack Israel again in 1956, 1967 and 1973.
In 1967, Israel triumphs over its ennemies and takes the West Bank that was occupied illegally by Jordan, and Gaza, occupied illegally by Egypt. In International Law, a State has the right to take territory when it is in a self-defense situation. It was the case for Israel.
According to UN Resolutions 242 and 338, Israel has the legal mandate to manage the West Bank and Gaza until a resolution is negotiated. These territories are part of the British Mandate of 1918 that have not yet been attributed to anyone. But the Arabs refuse to negotiate. Arafat pretended to do so, but instead sent his suicide bombers. Today, Hamas claims Israel has no right to exist!
Those who justify Arab terrorism should know that Israel is the nation of the Jewish People and that Palestinian Arabs already have a State: Jordan. Despite that, Israel has agreed to the creation of a second Palestinian State. But it insists it should be located next to Israel and not it its place. Israel also insists such a State should be peaceful. Is that too much to ask? What do you think?
Happy Birthday Israel !
Israel forever!