The Peace on The Horizon - 75 Years after The World War 2 in the Middle East (33)

 

(Japanese Version)c

(Arabic Version)

 

(contents)

 

Chapter 1. Wave of nationalism and socialism (1945-1956) (17)

 

033. Israeli independence(4): Independence of Israel after terrorism against UK(3/3)

With the chance of independence, Haganah and Irgun strengthen terror activities against both the UK and Arab. Major members of Haganah include Mr. Yitzhak Ravin, who later became Prime Minister and won the Nobel Peace Prize, and Moshe Dayan with black-eye patch, who had a number of heroic story. In Irgun there were Menahham Beguin who also became prime minister.

 

The Jews proclaimed independence just on the day of UK mandate reign. Independent leader Ben Glion read loudly the Israeli Declaration of Independence beginning with the exportation saying, "the Land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people." The neighbouring Arab countries did not recognize the independence of Israel and took military intervention. This was the First Arab-Israeli War.

 

In March 1949, Elat, a port town located in the innermost part of Gulf of Aqaba connecting to the Red Sea also became a battlefield and was occupied by the Israeli army. The Israeli soldiers made bedsheet of a nearby hotel into a national flag painted by blue ink and hoisted it at the port. This was what was called the "Ink Flag”. The photograph of Ink Flag became to the legend as a symbol of the First Arab-Israeli War. That legend is exactly the same as the picture of “Raising the Flag on Iwojima”, a fierce battlefield of the World War II in Pacific Ocean. Israel secured an exit on the Red Sea in addition to the Mediterranean.

 

In the same year a boy was born in the Zahra family of Palestinian farmer in the outskirts of Elat town. The Zahra family escaped in this war and was able to continue a quiet life. But there was no guarantee that the peaceful life would last forever.

 

(To be continued ----)

 

 

Areha Kazuya

(From an ordinary citizen in the cloud)