The Israel Institute Newsletter Volume 1: Issue 2

Educating about Israel’s history, geography, culture and people Moments in History

Recommended Reading

70 Years Ago UN General Assembly Votes to Partition Palestine

In the wake of World War II, the British tried to work out an agreement acceptable to both Arabs and Jews, but they decided to turn the issue over to the UN in February 1947.

The UN established a Special Commission on Palestine (UNSCOP) with representatives of 11 nations to devise a solution but they soon realized that the conflicting national aspirations of Jews and Arabs could not be reconciled. At a meeting with a group of Arabs in Beirut, the Czechoslovakian member of the Commission told his audience: “I have listened to your demands and it seems to me that in your view the compromise is: We want our demands met completely, the rest can be divided among those left.”

The delegates of seven nations — Canada, Czechoslovakia, Guatemala, The Netherlands, Peru, Sweden and Uruguay — recommended a partition plan establishing two separate states, Jewish and Arab, joined by economic union, with Jerusalem an internationalized area. Three nations — India, Iran and Yugoslavia — recommended one state with Arab and Jewish provinces. Australia abstained.

The Jews of Palestine were not satisfied with the small territory allotted to them by the Commission, nor were they happy that Jerusalem was severed from the Jewish State; nevertheless, they welcomed the compromise. The Arabs rejected the UNSCOP’s recommendations.

As the partition vote approached, little hope existed for a political solution to a problem that transcended politics. Jewish Agency representatives David Horowitz and Abba Eban made a last-ditch effort to reach a compromise in a meeting with Arab League Secretary Azzam Pasha on September 16, 1947.

Pasha told them bluntly: “We shall try to defeat you”.

The majority recommendation for partition was adopted by the ad hoc committee of the UN General Assembly, 33-13, with 10 abstentions on November 29, 1947.

What point do you think the cartoonist is trying to make?

What do you think should be done about Iran?

Vol.1 | Issue 2

Source: Jewish Virtual Library (JVL)

Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn

by Daniel Gordis Israel is a tiny state, and yet it has captured the world’s attention, aroused its imagination, and lately, been the object of its opprobrium. Why does such a small country speak to so many global concerns? More pressingly: Why does Israel make the decisions it does? And what lies in its future? Jerusalem based writer, Daniel Gordis, “one of the most respected Israel analysts” (The Forward), delves into these questions and illuminates answers in the first comprehensive yet accessible history of the State of Israel from its inception to present.

Guiding us through the milestones of Israeli history, Gordis relays the drama of the Jewish people’s story and the creation of the state. Clear-eyed and erudite, he illustrates how Israel became a cultural, “The author loves his economic and military powerhouse—but also explains where adopted homeland without ignoring its blemishes. He treats Israel made grave mistakes and the most contested episodes traces the long history of Israel’s in Israeli history, such as the plight of both Arab and Jewish deepening isolation. refugees during the 1948 War With Israel, public intellectual of Independence, honestly and Daniel Gordis offers us a brief fairly.” (Wall Street Journal) but thorough account of the cultural, economic, and political history of this complex nation, from its beginnings to the present. Straightforward, levelheaded, and rigorous, Israel sheds light on the Israel’s past so we can understand its future. The result is a vivid portrait of a people, and a nation, reborn. *All Seniors were given a free copy of the book, courtesy of a grant from the Avi Chai Foundation

‫בית הספר התיכון של הישיבה דפלטבוש על שם מר יואל ברברמן‬ Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School Al and Sonny Gindi Campus 1609 Avenue J Brooklyn, NY 11230 Rabbi Dr. Raymond Harari Head of School Rabbi Joseph Beyda, Principal

Ms. Sari Bacon, Associate Principal

Ms. Esther Hidary, Assistant Principal

Rabbi Craig Lubner, Assistant Principal

Mr. Howard Rothbort — Director, The Israel Institute

Happy Hanukkah

Israel at a Glance...

TEL AVIV

JERUSALEM

SYRIA

Travel startup WeTrip says it is planning a “ski vacation Israel fired missiles at a military revolution,” and has developed an algorithm-driven one-stopbase Iran has been building near the President Trump shop booking website, WeSki, where skiers can plan all aspects Syrian city of ​​ al-Qiswa, southwest of recognizes Jerusalem of their trip, from flights and hotels to resorts, equipment rentDamascus, about 50 kilometers (31 as Israel’s capital, als and ski lessons. miles) from the Israeli border, reportedly starts embassy move.

Launched earlier this month in London with a $1 million destroying an arms depot, according to investment that includes Uri Levine of Waze and low-cost numerous Arab media report. airline easyJet, WeSki promises customers that its site is on “At half past midnight, the Israeli enaverage 20 percent cheaper than conventional booking. emy fired several surface-to-surface “Our dream is to help groups around the world to put together ski missiles at a military position in Damascus vacations with maximum ease and flexibility,” said founder and CEO Yotam Idan. “I province,” Syria’s state SANA news agency believe that the venture will change the way in which reported. “The air defenses of the Syrian skiers book their holidays, and save them from the need to call a army were able travel agent.” He said the firm will also launch an app in the near future. to deal with the In recent years, Israeli tourism abroad has surged. A 2013 Ski Deal attack… desurvey found 40,000 thousand Israelis took off for ski stroying two of vacations that year alone, and, said Idan, some tens of the missiles,” it thousands more who go on similar “activity said, adding that vacations” including cycling, marathons, diving, the attack noneconcert and festival-centered trips. theless caused With WeSki, prospective skiers will be “material damage.” able to cut down on both time and cost, The alleged Israeli attack came three by going to their one-stop-shop, “the weeks after the BBC reported that Iran was easiest and the most intuitive place” to buy ski building a permanent military base in Syria just packages, where all aspects of the package can south of Damascus. The British broadcaster b e booked. Another innovation is that bookings and commissioned a series of satellite pictures that checkout can be done by a group using multiple credit cards, not showed widespread construction at the site. just individually, a first in the travel industry, Idan said.

Israel has long warned that Iran is trying to establish a permanent presence in Syria as part of its efforts to control a land corridor from Iran through to the Mediterranean Sea as it The IDF “neutralized a terror tunnel” that was attempts to expand its influence across the Middle discovered inside Israeli territory near the Gaza Strip East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said and is believed to have been dug after the 2014 war. The often that Israel will not allow Iran to establish a military said the tunnel had been under surveillance for an permanent presence in Syria, and was reported extended period of time and was under active construction last week to have sent a warning to this effect via at the time of the demolition. a third party to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The tunnel, which the IDF described as a “grave and unacceptable violation of Israeli sovereignty,” started in the Gazan city of Khan Younis, crossing under the border a nd The Water Council of approaching the Israeli community of Kibbutz Kissufim. “The Wisconsin and the Zucktunnel was detonated from within Israel, adjacent to the erberg Institute for Water security fence,” the military said in a statement. IDF spokesperson Research at Ben-Gurion Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the tunnel was approximately two University of the Negev kilometers away from the Israeli kibbutz. He said it did not pose have signed an accord to a threat to the residents. The tunnel was discovered by a new, increase collaboration and advanced piece of technology that was being used for the first research in water related istime. He would not specify what type of equipment was used. The sues between them as a first step to setting up a branch destruction of the tunnel was first reported by Palestinian media who of Wisconsin’s National Science Foundation center in Israel. said it was carried out by airstrike.

The agreement calls for collaboration on water-related The IDF initially contradicted those reports, saying it was a applied research that aims to introduce new technologies “controlled demolition,” but Conricus later clarified that the military globally through Wisconsin’s National Science Foundation would not comment on what munitions were used. Although it was sponsored Industry/University Cooperative Research Center not immediately clear who dug the tunnel, ultimately the Israeli army (I/UCRC) for Water Equipment and Policy (WEP). The Water holds Hamas “accountable and responsible” as it is the governing Council also signed an accord with the Israel Innovation apparatus in Gaza.

Authority, to develop a new research partnership in which The Army spokesperson noted that the “IDF is working above-and Israeli and Wisconsin water technology startup companies will below-ground to thwart attempts to harm Israeli civilians and protect collaborate on piloting and developing new applications for the the relative calm in Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and other Wisconsin the area.” The IDF water utilities. set up additional The agreements will result in “bringing together our two Iron Dome missile world water technology hubs,” said Dean Amhaus, president defense batteries and CEO of The Water Council. “The partnership with Ben-Gurion in the area in case University lays the foundation for creating the first I/UCRC presence terror groups in for the National Science Foundation in Israel and fosters greater the Strip fired business and academic collaboration. The agreement with the rockets in reIsrael Innovation Authority offers tangible support for Israeli busisponse to the nesses seeking to conduct pilots with Wisconsin water utilities.” demolition.

GAZA

BEER SHEVA, NEGEV

Design: Carolina Cohen