The Birth of Israel
Posted in: History
Documentary examining the the events leading up to the Israeli war of Independence in 1949, its continuing impact on Arab/Israeli relations and the implications for the Middle East peace process.
Sixty years ago Israel established itself in the wake of the British Mandate of Palestine.
For the Palestinians, expelled from their homes in the process, the Israeli War of Independence is still known as The Catastrophe (al-Nakba).
Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s Middle East editor examines the events leading up to the conflict, the war itself and the lasting legacy for the Middle East.
June 5, 2010 at 5:59 pm | far
Judaism is a religion it is not a race!!!
Israel is one big lie!!!
August 4, 2010 at 8:31 am | Jacob
Correct, Judaism is not a race, it is a religion. But Jews, those who practice Judaism, comprise a nation.
Israel is the state of the Jewish nation. Please get past simplistic hyperbole in the future.
August 10, 2011 at 11:41 pm | Asdj
fuck you and fuck israel! you will fucking burn in hell for what you and you’re ‘chosen’ ‘race’ are doing to the world. Self fulfilling bullcrap is getting old!
November 12, 2010 at 12:06 pm | Gwen J Weeke
You are a fool!!
September 27, 2010 at 2:49 pm | Luke
I had never realised that Hamas was the remains of a group of people fighting for the defense of their homeland. I know it’s obvious, really, but I’m so used to simply hearing of them as ‘terrorists’. It makes me wonder about the interests of the media, to be honest.
But with the opportunities allowed by the internet for shared independent thought, it’s relieving to think that the truth with come out after a while, and Israel eventually won’t be allowed to operate so blatantly as a criminal state.
November 12, 2010 at 12:03 pm | Gwen J Weeke
Luke—Israel was given to the Jewish people by God Himself!!!
December 9, 2010 at 7:42 pm | wet willy
ha ha ha god gave me this world too…. Now everyone get out!!!
November 12, 2010 at 1:19 pm | Gwen J Weeke
Perhaps some did not catch the phrases, “the Jews PURCHASED the land that Palestinians SOLD to them”!! And, “The Palestinians REFUSED to compromise” in the beginning. Also, please note that Israelis WON the war even when 5 Arab states came against them!! Could it be that Someone was on their side?? GOD, perhaps??!!
I have been to Israel and I have seen first hand how much the Israelis love and want PEACE!! They have NOT forced out the Arab people but live & work side by side. the Arabs control The Temple Mount BUT only because the Israelis ALLOW them to do so!!
December 14, 2010 at 11:29 pm | David
Maybe you should got to occupied Palestine and really see how much the Israelis want peace.
February 24, 2011 at 8:22 am | FuckChrist
Just because your bronze age religion says your good buddy jesus comes back if the jews get Israel dosen’t mean american treasure and lives should be sacrificed for them. Get your fucking zombie worship religion out of my country’s foreign policy. If you want to support Israel move there.
February 24, 2011 at 12:45 pm | Ellie
…nasty name, nasty post…
July 24, 2011 at 7:46 pm | Zacky
Did you forget the detail about the ammo the Jews got from East europe as they had
jews already there.
the people with most advanced technology and weapon won the war.
July 24, 2011 at 7:46 pm | Zacky
Did you forget the detail about the ammo the Jews got from East europe as they had
jews already there.
the people with most advanced technology and weapon won the war.
June 7, 2011 at 9:37 pm | Rum bum
very good documentary. shows the weakness and mistakes of both sides and the reasons for this conflict. pretty unbiased too. The point is no longer who is right or wrong but the point is one of solution. How one expect reasonable action from arabs who feel wronged is another problem . Remember they we are talking about Arabs and Zionist here. One has got to hand it to the jews though for achieving what they have - resilience is a word that comes to mind, Tough luck Palestinians your Arab brothers screwed you over, time to make peace and move on.
June 22, 2011 at 1:26 pm | Sergio IN
No mention whatsoever about the ~800.000 Jewish refugees from Arab countries. Too biased for me.
June 22, 2011 at 1:26 pm | Sergio IN
No mention whatsoever about the ~800.000 Jewish refugees from Arab countries. Too biased for me.
June 29, 2011 at 9:21 pm | Wolfe Tone
The 800,000 jews from arab countrty’s had lived in relative peace with their arab/muslim neighbours for century’s,it wasn’t till zionism and mass jewish migration from europe the problems arose,the jews in arab country’s were treated better in many circumstances than the jews in europe through the century’s.
June 29, 2011 at 9:28 pm | Wolfe Tone
Try to spirit the penniless [Palestinian] population across the border by denying it any employment in our own country … Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly.
Theodore Hertzl,Founder of Political Zionism. 1895
June 29, 2011 at 9:28 pm | Wolfe Tone
Try to spirit the penniless [Palestinian] population across the border by denying it any employment in our own country … Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly.
Theodore Hertzl,Founder of Political Zionism. 1895
June 29, 2011 at 9:28 pm | Wolfe Tone
Try to spirit the penniless [Palestinian] population across the border by denying it any employment in our own country … Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly.
Theodore Hertzl,Founder of Political Zionism. 1895
July 24, 2011 at 7:40 pm | Zacky
Okay, now this make more sense, about the history.
glad i watched.
July 24, 2011 at 7:40 pm | Zacky
Okay, now this make more sense, about the history.
glad i watched.
July 24, 2011 at 7:40 pm | Zacky
Okay, now this make more sense, about the history.
glad i watched.
July 24, 2011 at 7:40 pm | Zacky
Okay, now this make more sense, about the history.
glad i watched.
July 28, 2011 at 5:22 pm | Bluebird2008
the Jew must die
July 28, 2011 at 5:22 pm | Bluebird2008
the Jew must die
November 22, 2011 at 6:42 pm | Abc
the SS and Gestapo had the jews in a camp for 4 years ,
the jews have a concentration camp for the last 60 years and keep the Palestinians in
I prefer the SS Gestapo ,
make me wander could it be that Hitler was right ?
December 29, 2011 at 11:24 am | RKR
Wow deeply mixed feelings on this one, Israel is both beautiful and yet ugly; far more complex than simply a good guy bad guy scenario. May there be peace in Israel and a workable solution for the Palestine.
January 17, 2012 at 5:17 pm | Mise
Israel was never born, it was spawned from lies of religion, western politics and guilt generated by the holocaust.
May 12, 2012 at 3:41 pm | Bat
From the first couple of minutes: Israel fought and won for its independence. Israel was not an existing country before palestine, and there was nothing for them to fight against. they moved into palestine, took their land by force, then made up this story.