As a historian with a focus on the Middle East, I can provide a detailed account of the region's history prior to the establishment of the State of Israel. The land that would become Israel has a rich and complex history, with various civilizations and peoples inhabiting it over thousands of years.

Before the modern State of Israel, the region was known as Palestine, which was under British administration following World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The British Mandate for Palestine was established by the League of Nations in 1922, with the aim of administering the territory and preparing it for eventual self-governance. During this period, the region was characterized by a mix of Arab and Jewish inhabitants, with tensions often arising between the two communities.

The roots of the Jewish people in the region date back to biblical times, with the ancient Kingdoms of Israel and Judah being established there around the 10th-6th centuries BCE. However, the Jewish presence in the land was not continuous. After the Roman conquest and subsequent events, many Jews were dispersed throughout the world, a diaspora that lasted for nearly two millennia.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a movement known as Zionism emerged, advocating for the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. This movement gained momentum, particularly in the wake of increasing anti-Semitism in Europe, and led to a significant influx of Jewish immigrants, known as olim, to Palestine.

The situation became increasingly volatile in the years leading up to World War II, with both Arab and Jewish groups engaging in violent confrontations. The British, struggling to maintain order and balance the competing demands of the Arab and Jewish communities, found themselves in a difficult position.

After the war, with the horrors of the Holocaust fresh in the minds of the international community, support for the establishment of a Jewish state grew. However, this was met with opposition from Arab nations and Palestinian Arabs, who feared the loss of their land and rights.

The United Nations, in an effort to resolve the issue, proposed the 1947 UN Partition Plan for Palestine, which aimed to divide the territory into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem under international control. This plan was accepted by the Jewish Agency but rejected by Arab leaders.

The Arab Palestinian economy, as mentioned, faced significant challenges during this period, and it is true that many Palestinian Arabs were displaced. The reasons for this displacement are a matter of historical debate and include a range of factors from conflict and violence to political decisions and individual choices.

On 14 May 1948, as the British Mandate was set to expire, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, declared the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel. This declaration marked the end of the British Mandate and the beginning of a new era in the region's history.

The establishment of Israel was immediately met with military conflict, as neighboring Arab states launched an attack in an attempt to prevent the new state's existence. This conflict, known as the 1948 Arab-Israeli War or the War of Independence, resulted in significant displacement of Palestinian Arabs and the establishment of Israel's borders, which were different from those proposed by the UN Partition Plan.

In the years that followed, Israel would grow and develop as a nation, while the issue of Palestinian displacement and the quest for a Palestinian state would remain central to the region's ongoing conflicts and diplomatic efforts.

read more >>

The Arab Palestinian economy collapsed and 250,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled. On 14 May 1948, the day before the expiration of the British Mandate, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, declared "the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel."read more >>