Remembering: The UN Partition of Palestine in 1947

After decades of fighting between Arabs and Jews, Britain was tired of dealing with it. They had tried many various ways to appease both sides.

Then World War II happened, and they were distracted for a time. When it had ended the issue was still there though, but the world dynamic had changed.

Now the US and several European nations fully supported giving the Jews a country of their own. Unable to get the two sides to reach an accord, the British turned the matter over to the United Nations.

On November 29, 1947 the UN voted to split Palestine in two. The Arabs would be given some areas and the Jews others. Their solution would last half a year.

Israel was declared an independent nation on May 14, 1948. The next day Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded the new country. Despite being outnumbered and under equipped, Israel not only held their own, but gained territory.