Israel

Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948. After World War II, Great Britain, who governed this region known as Palestine, became overwhelmed by the problems and issues surrounding this “Palestinian Question.” Jews from Europe were seeking and demanding entry into the Holy Land. As the world became more aware of the enormous extent of the Holocaust, Jewish leaders and various governments encouraged Britain to allow substantial immigration into the region. At the same time, the Arabs and Arab states were resistant to such an action. So in 1947, Great Britain passed the problem to the United Nations. Eventually, this body came up with a plan to create a Jewish and an Arab State. The Arabs rejected the plan. But the Jewish State declared its independence (Weiker 260- 261). Almost immediately, this new country was recognized by President Harry Truman and the United States (Mackey 138).

The Short-Term

In the analysis of the short-term effects, one must first determine and spell out what one means by the short-term. In this research, the issue concerns the birth of a nation. The short-term would then seem to be anything that follows immediately after Israel’s declaration of independence. But where does one draw the line between where the short-term ends and the medium and/or long-term begins? Of course, one must recognize that it is not possible to draw such a line with absolute certainty where all would agree that after this date one can no longer think in terms of the short-term. But for the purpose of this research, I determined the short-term included events and actions in first three years of the existence of the State of Israel. It stands to reason that in this period any new country would be in a state of change and adjustment. Many of the initial problems and opportunities in the nation would logically be directly linked to the founding of the country. In Israel’s case, the number of immigrants gaining entry into the country was substantially higher in this period than in any other equivalent period to follow (Weiker 262). In addition, a new country no doubt takes some time to find its footing, to learn how to approach and solve its problems, to learn how to govern. However after three years of existence, I suspect many of the country’s methods and bureaucratic procedures will have stabilized. So my analysis of the short-term effects of the establishment of the State of Israel will focus on its first three years of existence.

Immediately after Israel’s declaration of independence and in its early years, the short-term effects seem to revolve around what I call egocentric idealism. For me, this represented a regression for Humankind. To move forward, I believe nations need to take a realistic attitude towards governing and their interactions with other nations. Such an attitude may help one nation understand the perspective of another. Such an attitude allows for compromises. Such an attitude