Israel is such an itty bitty country, yet this small piece of real estate will be the center of attention in the last human world war. The current difficulties between Israel and the Palestinians began after European Jews had been immigrating back to the Holy Land for around 50 years. Persecution of Jews in different countries became the fuel behind the Zionist movement, which raised the number of Jews immigrating to Israel. Organized Arab resistance to Jewish immigration began in 1911. By 1914, the Jewish population grew to 85,000.
There were two things that happened that ignited the already tense atmosphere during World War I - the Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Balfour Declaration. The Sykes-Picot Agreement put Palestine under a joint allied government run by England and a few other European countries. The Arabs revolted against Turkey thinking that England would guarantee Palestine would be theirs. That didn't happen.
Then in 1917, the Balfour Declaration showed Britain's support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. It is interesting that the Balfour Declaration was written by evangelist Louis Palau's uncle who was a Christian. In 1920, the League of Nations declared Palestine a mandated territory of Britain. The Zionists expected Britain to declare an independent state for a Jewish homeland and the Arabs increasingly rioted against Jewish settlement.
Nazi persecution in the 1930s caused many Jews to seek refuge in Palestine. From 1936 to 1939, Palestinian Arabs rejected British plans to divide the land into two sections - one for Jews, one for Arabs - and they revolted. In 1939, Britain limited Jewish immigration to Palestine and established a deadline for Jewish immigration by 1945. Of course, the Jews didn't like that idea.
By the end of World War II in 1945, around six million Jews had been killed by the Nazis. Two years later, the Palestinian situation had become so problematic that Britain asked the United Nations to handle it. The U.N. divided Palestine, with Jerusalem under international control. The Jews accepted the division. The Arabs did not and the fighting has continued to this day with the Jews making all the compromises to maintain some form of peace.
May 14, 1948, Israel was established as an independent Jewish state. Several wars have occurred since then as the Jews have tried to take back land that was promised to Abraham. The West Bank, Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip were results of those wars and are considered occupied territory by the Palestinians. There are now several million Jews living in Israel and more are immigrating every day.
That is a very simple overview of the history of Israel. For more information, go to Joel Rosenberg's weblog. I hope that helps you understand why there is such an issue over the land. The Bible tells us to pray for the peace of Israel. What that really means is that we should be praying that Jesus comes back soon, because there will be no lasting peace in Israel until He is sitting on the throne in Jerusalem.
Tomorrow - geography of Israel
Crafts
I knew that I would probably need to be prepared for activities for my grandkids ahead of time. It's so much easier to be prepared and have all the supplies on hand. Kids typically are not very patient while you look around the house or have to go to the store for supplies. And little ones have a knack for getting in trouble if they are not busy! So, I got on the internet and found crafts and games for toddlers. There's lots of great ideas! I copied and pasted the directions into a Word document, printed them out and put them in a notebook along with an index. Then, I gathered or made the supplies and put them in grocery bags and a plastic box. I put the pieces for each game and activity in a labeled plastic baggie and put them in the plastic box. It's all tucked under the tables in my craft room, ready for the kiddos to get here in a few days. I can't wait!
Hmmm...my pictures won't download. Hopefully, I can post them tomorrow...
Today's Recipe - Danish Mac Salad
Best of Salads and Buffets
8 oz frozen peas
8 oz frozen diced carrots
8 oz macaroni
1 lb ham
1 dill pickle
1 large onion (opt)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mixed herbs (dill, parsley, chives)
2 hard-cooked eggs
2 tomatoes
Bring a little salted water to a boil in a saucepan. Add frozen peas and carrots. Simmer over low heat 6 minutes. Drain and cool. Cook macaroni according to directions on package. Rinse with cold water and drain. Cut ham into 1/2 inch cubes. Slice pickle into strips. Cut onion into rings. Place peas, carrots, macaroni, ham, pickle and onion in a salad bowl In a small bowl, beat together mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, pepper, sugar and chopped herbs. Stir dressing into salad. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.Slice eggs and cut tomatoes into eighths. Garnish salad with tomatoes and eggs. Makes 4 servings.
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