Palestine Partitioned 1937/38

While reading Flight from the Reich the author, Deborah Dwork, identifies the Peel Commission as "...one of the heartbreaking 'what ifs' of the miserable history of refugee Jews from Nazi Europe."

She argues that had the 20th Zionist congress recognized the opportunity presented to them in the commission, that there was a genuine chance for the foundation of a Jewish state. Though no expert on the matter, I'm inclined to accept this argument for lack of contrary evidence.

So let's say that somehow Ben Gurion and other supporters of the Peel Commission are able to sway the recalcitrant Zionists into giving their grudging support and create a unified front. Convinced that the Jews are fully behind the partition, work is begun on ironing out the details. The partition of Palestine is then enacted in late 37/ early 38 with more or less the same borders as above.

Here are my thoughts...

-I'm going to bet that the creation of a Jewish state in TTL even though it's smaller than OTL is going to cause a major upswing in Arab nationalism and anti-semitism. Anyone care to disagree? I'd wager that as a result TTL's Arab revolt is going to be a lot nastier and could interact with WWII.

-Connected with this, I think the Nazi policy towards Jews is going to be drastically affected by the creation of Israel. Though they will likely initially support the emigration of Jews to Palestine, it isn't going to take them too terribly long to figure out that the existence of a Jewish state runs counter to their ideology. Destroying Israel is ultimately going to become one of Nazi Germany's major war aims and as a result I could see a large amount of clandestine aid heading to the Arabs from Germany in TTL to facilitate the destruction of Israel.

Also the potential for Jewish refugees to get to Israel and strengthen it is going to drastically change how Nazi Germany deals with the Jews. Emigration will at first become difficult and then become impossible. There will be far less consideration of a "Madagascar plan" in TTL and I think the Nazi's would logically gravitate to a "Final Solution" earlier than OTL. I'm thinking that we'd see earlier Einsatzgruppen initiating a "Holocaust by Bullets" seen in OTL Russia in TTL's Poland / western Europe.

-The creation of a Jewish state also greatly strengthens the hand of Jewish refugees outside of Palestine due to them having citizenship and some diplomatic protection.

-Assuming that the leadup to WWII proceeds roughly analogously to OTL, destroying Israel is going to probably manifest itself in the Nazi war aims. Greater German contributions to the Mediterranean theater coupled with rampant Arab anti-British nationalism could spell trouble for the British...Also there's a chance Barbarossa could be delayed/averted.

-Depending on the outcome of WWII, earlier Arab nationalism would certainly make the post-war Middle East far more "interesting" in a Chinese sense. Being branded Axis allies would certainly create an interesting post-war atmosphere. Perhaps Israel would expand it's borders in TTL using this as an excuse...

Thoughts?
 
While reading Flight from the Reich the author, Deborah Dwork, identifies the Peel Commission as "...one of the heartbreaking 'what ifs' of the miserable history of refugee Jews from Nazi Europe."

She argues that had the 20th Zionist congress recognized the opportunity presented to them in the commission, that there was a genuine chance for the foundation of a Jewish state. Though no expert on the matter, I'm inclined to accept this argument for lack of contrary evidence.

So let's say that somehow Ben Gurion and other supporters of the Peel Commission are able to sway the recalcitrant Zionists into giving their grudging support and create a unified front. Convinced that the Jews are fully behind the partition, work is begun on ironing out the details. The partition of Palestine is then enacted in late 37/ early 38 with more or less the same borders as above.

Here are my thoughts...

-I'm going to bet that the creation of a Jewish state in TTL even though it's smaller than OTL is going to cause a major upswing in Arab nationalism and anti-semitism. Anyone care to disagree? I'd wager that as a result TTL's Arab revolt is going to be a lot nastier and could interact with WWII.

-Connected with this, I think the Nazi policy towards Jews is going to be drastically affected by the creation of Israel. Though they will likely initially support the emigration of Jews to Palestine, it isn't going to take them too terribly long to figure out that the existence of a Jewish state runs counter to their ideology. Destroying Israel is ultimately going to become one of Nazi Germany's major war aims and as a result I could see a large amount of clandestine aid heading to the Arabs from Germany in TTL to facilitate the destruction of Israel.

Also the potential for Jewish refugees to get to Israel and strengthen it is going to drastically change how Nazi Germany deals with the Jews. Emigration will at first become difficult and then become impossible. There will be far less consideration of a "Madagascar plan" in TTL and I think the Nazi's would logically gravitate to a "Final Solution" earlier than OTL. I'm thinking that we'd see earlier Einsatzgruppen initiating a "Holocaust by Bullets" seen in OTL Russia in TTL's Poland / western Europe.

-The creation of a Jewish state also greatly strengthens the hand of Jewish refugees outside of Palestine due to them having citizenship and some diplomatic protection.

-Assuming that the leadup to WWII proceeds roughly analogously to OTL, destroying Israel is going to probably manifest itself in the Nazi war aims. Greater German contributions to the Mediterranean theater coupled with rampant Arab anti-British nationalism could spell trouble for the British...Also there's a chance Barbarossa could be delayed/averted.

-Depending on the outcome of WWII, earlier Arab nationalism would certainly make the post-war Middle East far more "interesting" in a Chinese sense. Being branded Axis allies would certainly create an interesting post-war atmosphere. Perhaps Israel would expand it's borders in TTL using this as an excuse...

Thoughts?
While the hate will still be there, not much can happen while all these areas are still under the thumb of the Brits and the French.
 
-Assuming that the leadup to WWII proceeds roughly analogously to OTL, destroying Israel is going to probably manifest itself in the Nazi war aims. Greater German contributions to the Mediterranean theater coupled with rampant Arab anti-British nationalism could spell trouble for the British...Also there's a chance Barbarossa could be delayed/averted.

I don't think the Nazis or Italians are going to get aynwhere near Israel. Unless they do an amphibious landing, which i doubt. They won't put more resources in destroying Isreal while Egypt is left unconquered. They don't have the resources or naval firepower for it.
 
There is not much that the Axis can do to get their troops to Palestine/Israel that they did not already do. The existence of Israel prior to WW2 will mean many Jews will survive by leaving Germany/Austria/Czechoslovakia prior to 9/39. After the war starts there will be a limited number of survivors saved because of a place with open arms but not lots.

Lebensraum in the east will still be more important so Barbarossa goes as OTL.

Postwar the State of Israel will be sitting at the table as one of the victorious Allies (even if a small one). Whether Arab support for Germany was as OTL or more they will be seen as supporting the wrong side. Israel will be rewarded and the Arabs "punished" prop too al to how strong/overt their support for Nazis was.

Two other points: As a pre-existing state (who had fought w/Allies) Israel will have a much stronger & better equipped military in 45-48 than OTL
. Also WI some of the Jewish emigre physicists who went to the US go to Israel instead and then are loaned to the a-bomb project?
 
I'm going to bet that the creation of a Jewish state in TTL even though it's smaller than OTL is going to cause a major upswing in Arab nationalism and anti-semitism. Anyone care to disagree? I'd wager that as a result TTL's Arab revolt is going to be a lot nastier and could interact with WWII.
The Arab Revolt was over the Influx of Jews into Palestine. with a separate Israel there will be no Revolt.
 
The Arab Revolt started in 1936 and proclaiming a partition including the establishment of a Jewish state with refugees to pour in will do nothing to deter the revolt.

As to how more than a few hundred thousand refugees are going to survive on the territory drawn up by the Peel Commission...the entire Jewish population ten years later OTL was less than 700,000.
 
I love how this is the heartbreaking what if. Not "What if the UK and USA hadn't left millions of Jews to be persecuted and denied them entry." No, it's "what if we gave the Jews the land of brown people."
 
I love how this is the heartbreaking what if. Not "What if the UK and USA hadn't left millions of Jews to be persecuted and denied them entry." No, it's "what if we gave the Jews the land of brown people."

Man, I have to say, whatever your opinion on the legitimacy of Israel (I have my doubts sometimes too), the country is kind of here to stay, so we all might as well give up having that conversation. It just pisses people off.

As for the partition... I'd have to say ASB. There is no way the Brits are going to risk pissing off the entire Arab world for a lousy group of Jews who 'can't even fight'. Not a chance in hell. The only reason they let partition happen in '48 was that they really didn't care all that much about Palestine once the Suez Canal lost its importance through decolonization.
 
Man, I have to say, whatever your opinion on the legitimacy of Israel (I have my doubts sometimes too), the country is kind of here to stay, so we all might as well give up having that conversation. It just pisses people off.
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Considering Faeelin was discussing Palestine in the pre-Israeli era, I would say that his point is perfectly viable (unless it was his snarkiness that annoyed you :p ). The British, French, and Americans all did close their doors to Jews petitioning for refuge, which is even more tragic than the Peel Commission's decision...


As for the partition... I'd have to say ASB. There is no way the Brits are going to risk pissing off the entire Arab world for a lousy group of Jews who 'can't even fight'. Not a chance in hell. The only reason they let partition happen in '48 was that they really didn't care all that much about Palestine once the Suez Canal lost its importance through decolonization.
Which is why the aforementioned refusal to let the Jews into Britain proper is even more tragic.
 
Considering Faeelin was discussing Palestine in the pre-Israeli era, I would say that his point is perfectly viable (unless it was his snarkiness that annoyed you :p ). The British, French, and Americans all did close their doors to Jews petitioning for refuge, which is even more tragic than the Peel Commission's decision...


It was his snarkiness that annoyed me. I'm just tired of people arguing about that issue.

Which is why the aforementioned refusal to let the Jews into Britain proper is even more tragic.

I'd agree, it was a tragic decision on the part of all of the Western allies to refuse entry of the Jews into their lands. France did a reasonable job, but then got invaded and had Petain. The USA did nothing, as did Britain, and Canada would have done worse than nothing if they could have. To quote McKenzie King, 'None is too many".
 
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