The Judean Republic: an Alternate Israel

[Haydn]

"The Judean People's Front?! we're the People's Front of Judea!" - David Ben Gurion
In the late 19th century, the ideology of Zionism quickly gained prominence.
The first new Jewish settlements in Palestine were founded in whats today greater Tel Aviv in the 1880s, this was after attempts to settle next to Jericho and Hebron were unsuccessful.
In this timeline, however, they have much success, while the first attempt to settle the central coastal region was ravaged by malaria, and all the settlers fled inwards.
In the following decades, the efforts of Jewish settlement are directed at the region of Judea, greater Jerusalem, and the southern coast. Much of the arid Negev is sold to Jewish pioneers who settle the desert. Tel Aviv is founded next to modern-day Gaza, which was closer to the centers of settlement. Long story short - the main centers of Jewish settlement are in the region that historically has been known as "Judea". the region from which the Jews get their name.

Among the Jewish Settlers, a left-wing paramilitary organization emerges - The people's front of Judea (or PFJ), with David Ben Gurion as its leader. The Organisation help the British Empire take over the region after the outbreak of the first world war. Seeing as the main area of Jewish settlement was in Judea, the british split the region into a north Palestine and South Palestine, with the south being promised as a future Jewish homeland. Following an Ideological split, Ze'ev Jabotinsky founded a rival organization to the PFJ, which he called "The Judean People's Front", to the great dismay of Ben Gurion.

During what would later be called the Armenian Genocide, Jerusalem and Bethlehem accept many refugees.

Jewish Immigration to the region rapidly increases following the Russian civil war, the rise of the Nazis, a famine in Yemen, and especially when Spain joined WWII and invaded the Maghreb with Nazi aid. Britain helped to evacuate the 400,000 Jews who lived there, and since the ships couldn't cross Gibraltar, settled them in Judea.

By 1947, South Palestine had a population of 803,000 Jews 422,000 Arabs. Following a controversial UN partition, a young Republic of Judea is declared, and the Arab states surrounding it declare war. Israel wins and during the war around 350,000 Arabs flee, some are allowed to later return.

Now the year is 2018, 70 years after indepence. The republic has known many wars since, and many ups and downs, but about them... maybe another time.

I made this in the last 2 hours, after watching Life of Brian. this is more of a meme, but I'm thinking of maybe turning it into a more fleshed out scenario. Anyone interested?

Spoiler: Bonus, the map in Hebrew

 

[Chomp3]

That's actually an interesting AH for Zionism! I really liked the usage of the world קהיליה, people rarely use it in modern Hebrew.
Why did you use an image of Hero'd Temple for Jerusalem? Is the temple rebuilt in this timeline? if so then that means the conflict is calmer than in our timeline.
Would you mind if I turn this into an actual alternate history mapping video?

 

[Progressive Populist]

I'd also be interested in a more flesh-out TL!

 

[Orko]

Several prominent problems I can think of:
1. The mountainous hinterlands were the most heavily-populated part of Palestine until the late-19th century. The reason Jews mostly settled in the coastlines and cities was because of that. I see no reason why they’d avoid it in any AH scenario.
2. There’s a reason why Tel Aviv became the prominent city it did IOTL. Jaffa was one of the major ports in Palestine at that point, a cultural center, and had a train leading to Jerusalem, in addition to just being well-located geographically.
3. How exactly could the Negev desert be settled in the 19th century? That’s a major challenge. Ben Gurion historically was very interested in setting the Negev, and he was hardly successful despite having access to better technology and having full control of the territory (compared to TTL’s Jewish settlers, who would have to compete with the locals while struggling with the authorities)
4. IOTL the Ottomans limited Jewish immigration quite harshly. What made them change their minds here, especially considering the much greater number of immigrants?

 

[Some Bloke]

The Monty Python references made me laugh.

 

[Kingfish Chris]

I have to put this in here.
"Excuse me. Are you the Judean People's Front?"
"Fuck off! 'Judean People's Front'. We're the People's Front of Judea! 'Judean People's Front'."

 

[Court Jester]

That scene so poorly translates into written word, as it really can't convey the levels of sneer that John Cleese is capable of.

 

[Haydn]

Would you mind if I turn this into an actual alternate history mapping video?

I'd absolutely love that!

Several prominent problems I can think of:
1. The mountainous hinterlands were the most heavily-populated part of Palestine until the late-19th century. The reason Jews mostly settled in the coastlines and cities was because of that. I see no reason why they’d avoid it in any AH scenario.
2. There’s a reason why Tel Aviv became the prominent city it did IOTL. Jaffa was one of the major ports in Palestine at that point, a cultural center, and had a train leading to Jerusalem, in addition to just being well-located geographically.
3. How exactly could the Negev desert be settled in the 19th century? That’s a major challenge. Ben Gurion historically was very interested in setting the Negev, and he was hardly successful despite having access to better technology and having full control of the territory (compared to TTL’s Jewish settlers, who would have to compete with the locals while struggling with the authorities)
4. IOTL the Ottomans limited Jewish immigration quite harshly. What made them change their minds here, especially considering the much greater number of immigrants?

1. Well, the coastal region and the valleys were malaria-infested and undeveloped, and already existing Jewish communities were found in Jerusalem and Hebron.
2. Well, Gaza also was a prominent port city, and if there's more settlement down south it becomes better located than Jaffa, and the railway was built by Yosef Navon IIRC, so ITTL he might chose to direct it southwards. it can later connect to Egypt through Sinai, even, but I digress.
3. It isn't settled on a mass scale, just a few towns, but enough to lay foundations for the future.
4. Nothing, until ww1 there's roughly the same number of immigrants, the larger influx is under the British. If you actually meant British and not ottomans, then... I don't know really, it isn't a very thorough scenario, it was made mostly for the Monty Python refrence. Maybe they give king Abdullah northern Palestine in exchange for support of a zionist state? I don't have an idea at the moment.