Fact Check: The Arabs attacked the Jews first.

Fact Check: "The Arabs attacked the Jews first."

What We Know

The claim that "the Arabs attacked the Jews first" refers to the events surrounding the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which followed the United Nations' adoption of Resolution 181 on November 29, 1947. This resolution proposed the partition of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. The Palestinian Arabs rejected this plan, viewing it as unfairly favoring the Jewish population. Following the resolution, violence erupted between Jewish and Arab communities in Mandatory Palestine, with attacks initiated by Palestinian Arab groups against Jewish settlements and forces (Office of the Historian, Wikipedia).

On May 14, 1948, Israel declared independence, which was immediately followed by a military invasion from neighboring Arab states, including Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, and Iraq, on May 15, 1948. This invasion was a direct response to the establishment of the Jewish state and marked the beginning of the full-scale war (Wikipedia, Britannica).

Analysis

The evidence supports the claim that the initial attacks against Jewish communities were carried out by Arab groups prior to the formal declaration of war by Arab states. The fighting began with assaults by Palestinian Arab irregulars, who attacked Jewish cities and settlements as early as late 1947, shortly after the UN partition plan was announced (Office of the Historian).

However, it is important to note that the context of these attacks is rooted in a complex history of intercommunal violence and political tensions between Jewish and Arab populations in Palestine. The civil war that erupted in late 1947 involved both sides committing acts of violence against each other, which complicates the narrative of who "attacked first" (Wikipedia, History Skills).

The reliability of the sources used in this analysis is generally high. The Office of the Historian is a reputable government source, while Wikipedia and Britannica provide well-researched historical summaries, though Wikipedia can be subject to edits that may introduce bias. The BBC and other historical analyses also corroborate the timeline of events leading to the war (BBC, Britannica).

Conclusion

The claim that "the Arabs attacked the Jews first" is True. The evidence indicates that prior to the formal declaration of war by Arab states, Palestinian Arab groups initiated attacks against Jewish settlements and forces. This context is crucial for understanding the subsequent military actions taken by Arab nations following Israel's declaration of independence.

Fact Check: The Arabs attacked the Jews first.