The modern State of Israel was established in 1948 for several historical reasons: the longstanding Jewish religious connection to the land of Israel, the Holocaust in Europe which killed millions of Jews, the rise of anti-Semitism and persecution of Jews in Europe, and the Zionist movement which advocated for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

1. SS7H2b
Explain the historical reasons for the
establishment of the modern State of
Israel in 1948; include the Jewish
religious connection to the land, the
Holocaust, anti-Semitism, and
Zionism in Europe.
Concepts:
Conflict Creates Change
Conflict Resolution
Movement

2. Vocabulary Words To Know
 Anti-Semitism  Palestine
 Balfour  State of Israel
Declaration  United Nations
 Holocaust  Zionism
 Law of Return

3. ZIONISM
• movement to create a
Jewish state (country) in
the Arab lands of Palestine
in the Middle East region.

4. BALFOUR DECLARATION
• statement issued by the
British government in
1917 in favor of a Jewish
state located in Palestine

5. Balfour Declaration in 1917
"His Majesty's Government
view with favour the
establishment in Palestine
of a national home for the
Jewish people...”
- James Balfour

6. The movement to return Jews to their ancient
homeland in the Middle East is known as
ZIONISM

7. PALESTINE—a religious
connection for Jews
• Region of land claimed by the Arab Palestinians as
their homeland for many centuries; HOWEVER, the
Jews have what they claim as the original religious
connection to the land.
• Region important to Jews, Christians, and Muslims
because this is where much of what is written in the
Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Qur’an
took place. There are many religious sites in
Palestine sacred to all three religions. The most
important of these is Jerusalem.

8. 1920 Mandate for Jewish Palestine

9. 1922 Mandate for Jewish Palestine
and Arab Palestine

10. ANTI-SEMITISM
• prejudice (dislike for a group of people)
• discrimination (unfair treatment of a group
of people)
• Dislike, unfair treatment, and hostility
toward Jews (people belonging to the
Jewish ethnic group and believing in
Judaism)

11. Anti-Semitism

13. HOLOCAUST
• the systematic plan by
German leader Adolph Hitler
and his Nazi Party to
murder all Jews prior and
during World War II in
Germany and Poland –
planned genocide

14. Hilter and the Holocaust

15. Holocaust during 1940s WWII

16. Anti-Semitism to Genocide
“We…shall be compelled to destroy a
third of the population in the adjacent
lands. We can achieve this by
systematic undernourishment which in
the end gives a better result than
machine guns do. Physically breaking
them will be more effective especially
among the young.” —German Officer
Gerd Von Rundstedt, 1942
Photo: Holocaust Museum

17. Conflict and Change
• What types or examples of conflict can
you brainstorm that had to do with Anti-
Semitism, the Holocaust, and
World War II?
• What types or examples of change
resulted from these conflicts?

18. UNITED NATIONS
• an international organization
composed of most of the
countries of the world. It was
founded in 1945 to promote
peace, security, and economic
development.

20. STATE OF ISRAEL
• In 1947, the United Nations approved the
partition of Palestine into two states, one
Jewish and one Arab.
• On May 14, 1948 the state of Israel declared
independence and this was followed by a war
with the surrounding Arab states, which
refused to accept the UN plan.

22. BEFORE and AFTER

23. LAW OF RETURN
• states that Jews anywhere
in the world can immigrate
to Israel and become
citizens

24. Jewish Migration Over Time