jaeger115 wrote:the British were on record as saying that the Jews were the more law-abiding faction.
The British said that? That's a
second-hand statement. Second-hand statements are unreliable because the British possibly could be very mistaken or biased.
"It is true that in times of disturbance the Jews, as compared to the Arabs, are the law abiding section of the population, and indeed, throughout the whole series of outbreaks, and under very great provocation, they have shown a notable capacity for discipline and self-restraint."
--Palestine Royal Commission Report, July 1937, p. 127
(from Martin-Gilbert Routledge Atlas of the Arab-Israeli Conflict)
1936:
In the three years after Hitler came to power in 1933, the Jewish population in Palestine increased... to 400,000... On May 11, after three weeks of violence, the British authorities warned the Arabs that they intended to continue to 'suppress all outbreaks, lawlessness, and punish the perpetrators'. On 13 May the Mufti of Jerusalem declared at Haifa: 'the Jews are trying to expel us from the country. They are murdering our sons and burning our homes'. Within a month of the first Jewish death, 21 Jews had been killed, and many farms and orchards burned by Arab action. Six Arabs had been killed by the police, none by the Jews.
--Atlas of Arab-Israeli Conflict, page 18
Earlier actions:
1 March, 1920-- Tel Hai: 8 Jews killed by Arabs
25 April, 1920-- Bnei Yehuda: Jewish immigrant killed by Arabs
March-April, 1920-- further attacks by Arabs at the towns of Ayelet Hashahar; Mishmar Hayarden; Mahanayim;Rosh Pina; Sharona; Kfar Tavor; Deganya; Menahemya.
June 1920-- Kinneret: As a result of Arab attacks through March and April, Jews form Hagana defense force. The name "Ha'Ganah" literally means: "the Defense".
23 August 1929:
Over a thousand Arabs in three main groups, emerged from the Old City of Jerusalem and attacked any Jew they could catch in several of the Jewish quarters of the city and it suburbs. Attacks on Jews quickly spread throughout Palestine. That night the British authorities refused permission to allow Jews to set up armed units to protect Jewish townships.
By nightfall of August 26, 133 Jews had been killed, and 339 wounded. Of the 116 Arab dead, all but six had been killed by the British Mandate police in their efforst to halt the anti-Jewish violence.
Among the Jews killed were 59 Jews on 24 August in the town of Hebron; 23 were killed in one house alone and the bodies dismembered... 6 more were killed in Jerusalem, includng 2 children and a Rabbi. Several elderly Jews were killed in the northern town of Safed.
All this took place a long time before either 1948 or 1967.
No, it doesn't 'excuse' later abuses by Israel, but bear in mind that the people who started swinging first were not the Israelis-- and when the 1947 UN Resolution was passed to partition the land peacefully the Jews accepted it and the Arabs refused and initiated yet another round of attacks.
Because of this history, perhaps you can understand why the Israelis are not particularly impressed when the Palestinians try to pluck the world's heartstrings while deploying suicide bombers by the bushel and then acting indignant when Israel dares to strike back.
BOTH nations are guilty. Does that mean we should stay friends with both of them?