The November 29th 1947, the plane of division of Palestine (or more exactly of what remained of Palestine, a part having already been separate in order to constitute Transjordanie) elaborate by UNSCOP is approved by the General meeting of UNO, with New York (resolution 181 of the general meeting). This plan, intended to solve the Jewish conflict between S and Arab in connection with the British mandate on the Palestine, proposes the division of this territory between two States, one Jewish, other Arabic, with Jerusalem under international control. The refusal of this plan by the Arab countries as well as the deterioration of the relations between Jews and Arabic in Palestine leads to the Israeli-Arab Guerre of 1948.

Creation of the plan

The United Nations, which succeeded the Société of the Nations, tried to solve the conflict between Juifs and Arabs in connection with becoming to it British mandate.

In February 1947, the British government of Clement Attlee, not managing more to maintain the order in Palestine, decided to give its mandate to the United Nations.

UNO designated on May 13rd, 1947 members of a committee, the UNSCOP (Special United Nations Committee one Palestine), composed representatives of 11 States (Australia, Canada, Guatemala, India, Iran, Netherlands, Peru, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Uruguay, Yugoslavia). In a preoccupation with a neutrality, none the great powers of the time was represented.

The UNSCOP considered two options. The first was the creation of States independent Jew and Arabic, with the town of Jerusalem placed under international control. The second consisted of the creation of only one Federal state, containing at the same time a Jewish State and an Arab State.

In the majority, the UNSCOP adopted the first solution, although several members had decided in favor of the second option; the Australia as for it, could not decide between these two proposals. The General meeting of the United Nations accepted with a vast majority the proposal of the UNSCOP, but made some modifications to the layout of the borders separating the two States.

Divide grounds

According to the Plan of Division, the Jewish State included/understood the coastal plain, which extends from Haïfa to Rehovot, is Galileo and the desert of Negev, including the outpost of Umm Rashrash in the south (now called Eilat).

The Arab State was to receive the west of Galileo, with the town of Acre, the mounts of the West Bank, and the south of the coast, extending from the north of Majdal (now Ashkelon), and including/understanding current the Gaza Strip, with part of the desert along the Egyptian border . The town of Jaffa to population mainly Arab, in the south of Tel-Aviv, was initially to belong to the Jewish State. It was finally included/understood in the Arab State before the Plan of division is not adopted by UNO, thus forming an enclave.

Divide populations

At the time of the plan of division, the total population of Palestine is made up for two thirds of Arabs and a third of Jews. The Jewish population represented by the Yishouv (Hebrew word designating the Jewish population of Palestine before 1948) has 7% of the land and buildings.

The Jewish State suggested would gather a majority of Jews (558 000 per 405.000 Arabs). 10.000 Jews would be then in the Arab State. This one would be consequently populated to Arab 99%, with a community of 804.000 inhabitants.

The international zone centered on Jerusalem, would count 100.000 Jews for 105.000 Arabs.

2% of the Jews, are 10.000 people, would be found neither in the Jewish State nor in the international zone of Jerusalem. 31% of the Arabs, are 405.000 people, would be neither in the Arab State nor in Jerusalem.

The Jewish State suggested is appreciably larger (55%) that the Palestinian State, including one very great share occupied by the Negev desert (40%). The main part of the cultivable coastal grounds returns to him. 55% of the total territory, 80% of the cereal grounds and 40% of the industry of Palestine are recovered by the Jewish community

Reactions

Arab reactions

The very large majority of the Arabs living in Palestine (there were exceptions, as with the Communist party) and the totality of the Arab States, rejected this plan.

On the principle, they rejettaient any division of the Palestine agent, and claimed the complete country.

In a more technical way, the Arabs criticized also the layout of the border. This one aimed at including the maximum of Jewish villages inside the Jewish State, but the reciprocal one was not respected.

Jewish reactions

The majority of the Jews of Palestine accepted the division. There was however a strong opposition on behalf of most nationalist, in particular (but not exclusively) of right-hand side. The Irgoun and the Lehi criticized the division vigorously.

The majority of the Jews Zionists were however delighted to obtain an independent State finally. From a technical point of view, even the partisans of the agreement however regretted the lack of territorial continuity of their new State.

Text of Resolution 181

Resolution 181 on the site of UNO

See also: Agreement Sykes-Barb

Adoption of the text

The November 29th 1947, the General meeting of UNO adopts, (resolution 181) the plan of division of Palestine in two States, one Arab, and the other Jew - Jerusalem having a particular status under the aegis of UNO. The project is soviéto-American, it passes in committee on November 25th and is ratified the 29. Convergence enters the two powers (Russian and American) in conflict creates sensation. The Arab countries refuse the plan of division: the Arabs of Palestine and the governments of all the Arab States, refuse to accept the recommendations of resolution 181, and state that they will be opposed by the force to the application of these recommendations.

Positions before the vote

Speech of the Soviet representative Semyon Tsarapkin: “The historical and legal arguments cannot and do not have to be decisive in the payment of the Palestinian question. The problem has as an essential base the right of the Jewish and Arab populations of Palestine to decide on their fate. The sufferings undergone by the Jews during the last war must constitute an important component in the decision of the Parliament. The Jews fight for a State which is clean for them, and it would be unjust to refuse the right to them to achieve this goal” (newspaper Le Monde , 12 October 13rd, 1947).

The USSR supported the creation of Israel while thinking of also creating a new communist State : the Hebrew State was based on a philosophical ideology libertarian Zionist (who fought against the Impérialisme S Othoman, British then later Soviet) near to the socialist ideologies and the methods Soviet collectivists, by creating communities similar to the Russian Kolkhoze S (agricultural cooperatives of production which had the pleasure of the ground that it occupied and the collective ownership of the means of production), or all is shared at the service of the community.

In Israel it is in the countryside of the communities called Kvoutza, modernized then by the Kibbutz and Mochav, coexistent with a private sector. The grounds were bought gradually legally, at ransom price, by the Jewish National Funds (Keren Kayemet), Yichouv and the Palestinian Jewish Colonization Association . By these gifts of the whole world, coming especially from the searches in the working mediums, and givers like the family of the Baron de Rotschild in the United Kingdom, the acreage by the Jews will rise of 20.400 hectares in 1897 to 180.230 ha one half-century later, and the number of colonies passed from 27 to 300. Tel Aviv exceeds the 150.000 inhabitants in 1936.

To regenerate the Jewish people by work, such is the ideal of the movement Zionist, in particular of its socialist tendency, very influential among the immigrants coming from the ex-empire tsarist.

However, while Moscow sings its praises, David Ben Gourion declares with the American ambassador MacDonald, named by Truman: “Israel greets the Russian support for the United Nations, but will not tolerate Russian domination. Not only Israel is Western in its orientation, but our people are democratic and realize that there can become strong and remain free only through the co-operation with the United States. Only the occident itself, by humiliating Israel and by giving up it in the United Nations and elsewhere, could alienate our people” (In Arnold Kramer, Soviet Policy one Palestine 1947-1948 , Journal off Palestine Studies, vol. 2, Numéro 2, winter 1973).

Vote for resolution

The division and the creation of the three States (State Jewish, State Arab and State of Jerusalem under international administration), are voted by 33 votes against 13 with 10 abstentions.

Voted for: The United States of America, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bielorussia, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Iceland, Liberia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Filipino, Poland, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, South African Union, The USSR, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Voted against: Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen.

Abstained from: Argentinian, Chile, China, Colombia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Yugoslavia.

A coup d'etat in Siam prevented the delegation of this country from taking share with the vote.

Have the role of taking care of the transition on the ground: Bolivia, Denmark, Panama, Philippines and Czechoslovakia.

Consequences of the vote

Yishouv accepts without condition the plan of division, while the authorities of the close Arab countries reject this plan. The immediate consequence will be the release of a civil war in followed Palestine Israeli-Arab Guerre of 1948.

For the movements Zionists, this vote of November 1947, rejected by the Arab leaders, is an enormous victory, because this division is the recognition of the foundation of the new State of Israel, which they called of all their wishes and a suitable fulcrum for later extensions.