On Remembrance Day, it has been my practice to honour those who fought in the World Wars. This year—in view of the unconscionable terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7th and the subsequent events playing out every day ‘live on CNN’— I have chosen a slightly different path.
The seeds of the current Israeli/Palestinian conflict were sown more than 100 years ago, by the British and their allies during the first World War.
When World War I erupted in August 1914, the Ottoman Empire held sway over a great swath of the Middle East, including modern-day Israel, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
The Ottomans chose to ally themselves with the Central Powers—Germany and its allies.
Promises, promises
In 1915-1916, the British High Commissioner in Egypt exchanged a series of letters with the Emir of Mecca, offering British support of an independent Arab state for Arab assistance in opposing the Ottoman Empire.
In May 1916, Britain, France and Russia concluded a secret agreement—the Sykes-Picot Agreement—to divide the Ottoman Empire into French, British and Russian spheres. According to the agreement, after the war, Russia would rule Armenia, France would have Syria and Lebanon, and Britain would either rule or take under its protection the areas that include the modern countries of Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and the various Gulf states. There was no provision for an independent Arab state.
In November 1917, in a letter addressed to Baron Rothschild, Arthur Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary, expressed British support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.”
The conflicting and contradictory “promises” made by Great Britain in order to secure Arab support against the Ottomans on the one hand, and continued support from the United States and Russia on the other hand, led to post-war chaos in the region.
In 1920, at a peace conference held in San Remo, Italy, the victorious Allies awarded France a mandate to rule the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire, including what is now Lebanon and Syria. Palestine—including what is now Israel and Jordan—was mandated to the British.
The San Remo mandates were ratified by the League of Nations in 1922.
The sense of betrayal—of broken promises—felt by Arabs and Jews alike fueled the fires of hate and anger for the next 100 years.
Hatikvah — The Hope
In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly voted to end the British mandate and to partition Palestine into two sovereign states, one for the Palestinian Arabs and the other for the Jews. Although politically independent, the two states would be bound together in an economic union. Jerusalem would become an international city.
On May 14, 1948, the British mandate ended and the State of Israel was declared.
For all of its failings—and there have been failings—Israel remains the only true democracy in the Middle East. And, contrary to what has been disseminated over social media, Israel is not an apartheid country.
Israel’s current Arab population is approximately 2 million people, out of a total population of roughly 9.2 million.
Arab citizens of Israel have the same rights as Jewish Israelis, including the right to vote.
There are Arab representatives in the Knesset (the Israeli parliament).
I do not know how or when the current war between Israel and Hamas will end.
I do not know what it will take for there to be a true peace in the region.
I can only hope that, in time, some measure of justice and good will might prevail.
Shir LaShalom – A Song of Peace
Hebrew lyrics by Yaakov Rotblit. Music by Yair Roseblum.
English translation by Ros Schwartz
Let the sun rise
light up the morning
The purest of prayers
will not bring us back
He whose candle was snuffed out
and was buried in the dust
bitter crying won’t wake him up
and won’t bring him back
Nobody will bring us back
from a dead and darkened pit here,
neither the victory cheer
nor songs of praise will help
So just sing a song for peace
don’t whisper a prayer
Just sing a song for peace
in a loud shout
Allow the sun to penetrate
through the flowers
don’t look back
let go of those departed
Lift your eyes with hope
not through the rifles’ sights
sing a song for love
and not for wars
Don’t say the day will come
bring on that day –
because it is not a dream –
and in all the city squares
cheer only for peace!
Phyllis Entis 