It is said that Jews had lived in what is today Israel and Palestine from about 1500 BCE. After the Roman conquest in 64 BCE, the region became integrated into the Roman Empire. Subsequent revolts against Roman rule led to the dispersion of Jews, with many settling in Europe and other parts of the Arab world, while a minority maintained residence in Palestine. This diaspora was marked by challenges, as Jews globally became targets of anti-Semitism, enduring various forms of abuse.
The dream to return to the biblical ‘Land of Israel’, emerged as a poignant desire among Jews seeking refuge from persecution. The turning point occurred in 1896 with Theodor Herzl’s publication of The Jewish State, a book advocating a unified Jewish nation-state. Herzl’s vision, however, introduced a controversial element—the vision of a Jewish state serving as a Western colonial outpost in the heart of the Arab world.
With support from influential Jewish lobbies in the United States and Britain, Zionism—advocating for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine—transformed from a conceptual idea to a tangible reality. Jewish immigrants, backed by the desire to create a nation-state, were poised to displace Arabs from the land. Against the backdrop of recent tensions between Israel and Palestine, Michael Scott-Bauman’s book, Shortest History of Israel and Palestine, emerges as a compellingly timely read.
Until the summer of 1947, British rule prevailed in Palestine. In response to Arab protests against Jewish settlement, characterised by bloodshed, the British decided to relinquish control and entrusted the matter to the United Nations. The UN Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) was established to investigate and propose solutions to the conflict, a situation largely shaped by the influx of Jewish immigrants.
The proposed division allocated territories in the new State of Israel based on population and land ownership, designating areas with a higher Jewish presence to the Jewish state and predominantly Arab areas to the Arab state. Despite Jews comprising one-third of the population and owning less than 10 per cent of the land, they were granted 55 per cent of the overall territory.
The Jewish agency in Palestine accepted the plan, gaining international support for the establishment of a Jewish state. On May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion declared the birth of the State of Israel, leading to the exodus of over 300,000 Arabs from the newly formed state.
Between May 1948 and January 1949, an additional 400,000 Palestinians fled, with many finding refuge in Gaza. This mass displacement, coupled with the events of 1947-1949, is referred to in Arabic as the nakba, meaning catastrophe or disaster. Among those who stayed in Israel, about 15 per cent of the total population, became Israeli citizens and were commonly identified as ‘Israeli Arabs’ or ‘Palestinian Israelis’.
The longing of most Palestinian refugees to return to their original homes lacked a leadership striving towards this dream. Palestinian nationalism found its roots in these refugee camps, but it faced initial challenges in gaining substantial support.
The displaced and stateless Palestinians had to first grapple with the magnitude of their plight while prioritising physical survival. Scott-Bauman objectively presents the post-displacement events, including the emergence of the Movement for Arab Nationalism (NAM), the rise of Fatah, the establishment of the PLO, the genesis of Hamas, and the ongoing tensions resulting in the loss of Palestinian lives. It saw Yasser Arafat become the face of Palestinian nationalism, with his keffiyeh, an Arab headgear that eventually became a symbol of Palestinian resistance.
Before dawn on November 13, 1974, Arafat was flown by US helicopter to the UN in New York. “The roots of the Palestinian question are not the result of a conflict between two religions or two nationalisms... It is the cause of a people deprived of its homeland... Today I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter’s gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand,” he had said in his speech.
Whether the world embraces the olive branch or not is a decision we must contemplate, and in making that choice, Scott-Bauman’s book proves to be of immense assistance.