History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - Israel, Nasser & the New World of Trouble

Summary: Reading Time: 10 minutesToday we are going to look at the early years of Israel and Palestine. But before I move any further into the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict we should pause and take a brief accounting of what was going on in the wider region of the Middle East at this point in time after the establishment of the state of Israel. The world had shifted dramatically and not only with the establishment of the state of Israel.<br>  <br> The end of World War 2 brought with it the end of the colonial system and the beginnings of the Cold War between the remaining superpowers in the world, the United States versus the Soviet Union. Within that context many of Europe’s former colonial holdings in the middle east, as well as throughout the world, were beginning their journey as independent states.<br>  <br> When I did <a href="https://soundcloud.com/the-end-of-history-podcast/sets/history-of-the-modern-middle-east">the original podcast series on this history</a> I compared this particular time period to a sort of primordial goo from which all of the new nations of the Middle East were climbing out of. They were new and very fragile. The slightest bit of interference from outside sources had enormous consequences. Meanwhile, they were each trying to figure out what they were all about for themselves.<br> (If you want to take a deeper dive on the History of the Middle East you should check out this series <a href="http://www.theendofhistory.net/global-issues/middle-east-history-politics/history-of-the-middle-east-chapter-1/">A Brief History of the Middle East for the Rest of Us</a>.)<br> <br> The Early Years of Israel and Palestine: The Arab States<br> <br> For the new Arab states of the Middle East they were only 30 years removed from the end of one of the world’s great empires (the Ottomans). Some had difficulty imagining themselves as truly independent states. Something in all of their shared cultures and religions needed to still bind them together. Ideas of Pan Arabism were very popular during this time for such states, even if its implementation was somewhat unsuccessful. Alongside ideas of Pan Arabism there were individual military and political power players who were trying to move to the front of the line when it came to who was in charge of their country. As a result of this there were a lot of coups throughout the Middle East throughout these first few decades after World War 2.<br>  <br> In the early years of Israel and Palestine the Palestinian identity was hijacked by many of these Arab states and their various leaders. The Palestinians made a great propaganda element for their ideologies and ambitions. Each new Arab leader who rose to prominence in his own country would explain how he was the one who truly cared about the plight of the Palestinians. These claims seldom resulted in any true or beneficial achievements for the Palestinians who were living in refugee camps but the merging of the Palestinian people from real victims to mere ideological and propaganda elements was beginning.<br> The Early Years of Israel and Palestine: The Vision and Ideals of the New State of Israel<br>  <br> For Israel, the early years of Israel and Palestine were the boon years. The Jewish people had longed for this homeland for centuries. Now that it had been realized every vision and idea and concept that had been hoped for was on the table. Many of the new Israelis and statesmen envisioned that their nation would be a beacon of light and modernism in the new world order. They would represent all that was good and noble of humanity.<br> <br> Many are surprised to learn that even at the present Israel is not a highly religious nation. While there are definite historic religious realities Israel has one of the highest percentage of populations who claim to atheism today.<br>  <br> The new Israelis also did not want to be seen as victims.