1) In the late 19th century, the population of Palestine was predominantly Arab Muslim and Christian at around 96.8%, while Jews made up only 3.2% of the population. Jewish immigration increased this percentage to 11% by 1922 and 16.9% by 1931. 2) The UN partition plan of 1947 gave 43% of the land to Arabs despite making up over two-thirds of the population, and 56% to Jews who comprised around one-third. Israel declared statehood in 1948 amid mass displacement and expulsion of Palestinians. 3) From 2000-2007, over 4,000 Palestinians were killed by Israelis including 816 children, while 1,021 Israelis were killed by Palestinians including 119 children,

1. Basic statistics<br />Population of Palestine in 1878:<br />Total: 462,465.<br />Arabs- Muslims and Christians: 96.8% (447,666).<br />Jews: 3.2% (14,798).<br />Source: Benin and hajjar- www.merip.org.<br />1882-1914:<br />Jewish immigrants= 65,000. (Source: Palestineremembered.com)<br />Britain's promises towards different factors! (Contradictions!)<br />1917: Balfour declaration. 19156: McMahon-Hussein correspondence. <br />1916: Sykes-picot agreement.<br />Population of Palestine in 1922:<br />Total: 757,182<br />Arabs: 87.6%<br />Jews: 11%<br />Source: British census of mandatory Palestine.<br />1920- 1931:<br />Jewish immigrants= 108,825<br />Source: British government, Palestine royal commission report.<br />Population of Palestine in 1931:<br />Total: 1,035,154.<br />Arabs: 81.6%.<br />Jews: 16.9 %.<br />Source: British census of mandatory Palestine.<br />1932-1935:<br />Jewish immigrants= 174,000 (doubling the population).<br />Source: British government, Palestine royal commission report.<br />1937-1945:<br />Jewish immigrants= 119,800.<br />Source: British government, Palestine royal commission report, Palestineremembered.com<br />The UN partition plan 1947- divide the land into two states:<br />Arabs were to be given 43% despite the fact that they made up more than two third of the population (69%).<br />Jews were to be given 56% although they comprised only one third of the population (31%).<br />Source: Benin and hajjar- www.merip.org.<br />Why declaration of Israel state and not Palestinian one? Was there even a question in the matter?<br />1- Superior military preparation. <br />In November 1947, Israel defense force started to function as an organized army.<br />(Not in 3o.5 .1948 when it was formally established)<br />Around 300,000 Arabs were expelled before the first Arab soldier entered Palestine.<br />Arab soldiers entered only after the declaration of Israel state- 15.5.1948 and yet it was insufficient:<br />Arab soldiers totaled= 69,000<br />Jewish soldiers totaled= 90,000 <br />Source: Israeli military strategist Martin Van Creveld.<br />Arab soldiers totaled= 25,000<br />Jewish soldiers totaled= 60,000 (in Dec. 120,000).<br />Source: Motti Golani- professor of Israel studies at the University of Haifa.<br /> <br />2- Systematic explosion of Palestinians. Massacre of Deir Yassin drove fear and panic, [Menachem Begin was in charge of the unit]. + Ethnic cleansing operation taking place.<br /> 3- LACK of Palestinian leadership.<br />4- Cultural Superiority - Above all stands the number one factor: the Zionists gained their education from the west- the Europeanean countries, these educated men and women came from the west to the east, with plans and ideas of conquering or sharing the land, they came to a developing country that was developing slowly- but according to its location in the region. Any comparison such as quot;
we were able to do this while they couldn't is extremely absurd.<br />Results of the war:<br />- Gaza strip= Egyptian control.<br />- West bank= Jordan control.<br />- The rest of the land (78%) = Israel.<br />- 700,000 refugees in nearby countries [today they number 4,450,120].<br />- From 500 villages-around 400 were destroyed and erased from the face of the ground- to assure that no one returns.<br /> 1967 war results:<br />Occupation of the west bank and Gaza.<br />Israel displaced more than 400,000 Palestinians, half of whom were 1948 refugees- displaced for a second time in less than two decades. <br />First uprising (intifada) December 1987- December 1993:<br />Palestinian civilians killed= 1110 (250 minors).<br />Jewish civilians killed= 114 (5 minors).<br />Source: B'tselem Israeli human rights group.<br />The Israeli government adopted a strategy in the words of the defense minister Isaac Rabin of mite power and beatings which became known as the quot;
break the bone strategyquot;
.<br />By the end of 1993, the intifada began to wind down- and for the next 7 years the Palestinians entered into the Oslo peace process with Israel. <br />Was it a quot;
peace processquot;
?<br />1- Israeli settlements doubled in size: from 200,000 to 400,000.<br />Source: foundation for Middle East peace www.fmep.org.<br />There are two types of settlers:<br />A- The ideologicalFundamentalists settlers.<br />B- People who come for cheap housing- the government's offer is: get a government loan- if you stay for 10 years, you don't have to pay it back!! <br />2- All the economic indicators hit the rock bottom under Oslo, Right to education, work and health care, which are among the most basic economic and social rights, were the areas that declined the worst for the majority of Palestinians.<br />3- Since 1967: About 24,145 Palestinian homes have been demolished- 740 of them were demolished during the Oslo peace process.<br />Source: Israel committee against home demolition.<br />2006- Why Hamas?<br />Palestinian Authority and the Fatah Party has wasted and misappropriated lot of money the international community has given it. The sight of posh villas of leading Palestinian Authority officials sprung up like poison ivy amidst the poor dwelling of refugees throughout the occupied territories and the poverty with which the Palestinian masses are still living in says it all. The performance of PLO in running the Palestinian Authority and its failures in negotiating a credible peace process with Israel has very well diminished support for PLO leadership.<br />These factors led the Palestinians to vote out the PLO in favor of Hamas, giving them the required seats to form a majority government in 2006 elections.<br />Can Israel exist without the United States?<br />1- The most important organization affecting America's relationship with Israel: <br />The US lobby for Israel: AIPAC- the American Israel public affairs committee.<br />From 1978-2006pro-Israeli political action committees have contributed $43,724,035 to candidates who vote in congress according to AIPAC'S recommendations.<br />2- Fundamentalists Christians communities.<br />3- Influence of the American mainstream media: CNN, PR representation and New York Times.<br />Total US aid from 1949-1996:<br />The Caribbean+ Latin America+ sub-Saharan Africa= $62.5 Billion. Population= 1.07 Billion<br />Israel= $62.5 Billion!! Population= 5.8 million.<br />From the total aid the US gives annually, Israel receives one third.<br />In March 2003 the US government approved $10 billion in aid for Israel. At the same time it withheld a $3.5 billion grant to upgrade the training of first responders: those who would be the first to respond to a terrorist attack.<br />Source: Richard H. Curtiss- Washington report on Middle East affairs.<br />From 1949-2006- the US aid to Israel amounts to:<br /> $108 Billion- ($6 or $8 million per day).<br />Source: conservative estimate (Direct aid only).<br />US- the quot;
bodyguardquot;
of Israel:<br />Israel is currently the most extensive violator of UN Security Council resolution.<br />The United States has used its veto power more than 40 times in the UN to defend Israel's violations of international laws.<br />Source: Jewish virtual library- April 2007.<br />Second uprising (intifada), September 2000:<br />In the intifada there were a lot of Suicide bombings inside Israel, shooting on settlements, car harassments… This is actually what we see in the news. Yet one cannot take it out of the general context (Israel's occupation-peoples life unbearable…).<br />How did Israel Deal with the intifada:<br />Israel from the beginning relied on excessive force.<br />In the first 10 days alone the Israeli security forces killed 74 Palestinians and injured nearly<br />3000.<br />Source: Palestine Red Crescent Society- www.palestinercs.org.<br />Equal force?:<br />Israeli tanks: 3930. Palestinian tanks: 0.<br />Israeli F-16 Jets: 362. Palestinian F-16 Jets: 0.<br />Source: Israeli-weapons.com & GlobalSecurity.org<br />Is Israel a small country surrounded by a sea of hassle Arabs, quot;
we just want peace, and they're violent…? quot;
??<br />ISRAEL IS THE fifth largest nuclear power in the world, it's got between 200-300 nuclear warnings.<br />It's got the largest fleet in any country in the world behind the United States.<br />Israel= Regional superpower.<br />From September 2000 to February 2007:<br />Palestinians killed by Israelis: 4,009. [816 children]<br />Israelis killed by Palestinians: 1,021. [119 children]<br />Source: B'tselem Israeli human rights group.<br />2005: the evacuation of Gaza:<br />The evacuation Constituted only %2 of the entire Israeli settler population.<br />To compensate the evacuation each settler was given $227,000.<br />Today the Number of settlers in the west bank and east Jerusalem= 490,000.<br />