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" pertains to the events surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel and the subsequent outbreak of the Arab-Israeli War in 1948. Following the United Nations' adoption of Resolution 181 on November 29, 1947, which proposed the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, tensions escalated significantly. The Palestinian Arabs rejected this resolution, viewing it as biased towards the Jewish population and unfair to the Arab inhabitants of the region (Milestones: The Arab-Israeli War of 1948).

In the months leading up to Israel's declaration of independence on May 14, 1948, violence erupted between Jewish and Arab communities. The conflict began with attacks by Palestinian Arab groups, including irregular bands associated with the Arab Liberation Army, targeting Jewish settlements and forces (Wikipedia: 1948 Arab-Israeli War). Notably, on the eve of Israel's independence, Arab forces launched an air attack on Tel Aviv, marking a significant escalation in hostilities (Milestones: The Arab-Israeli War of 1948).

After Israel declared independence, a coalition of Arab nations, including Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, and Iraq, invaded the territory of the former Palestinian mandate, further intensifying the conflict (Wikipedia: 1948 Arab-Israeli War).

Analysis

The evidence supports the assertion that the initial violence was instigated by Arab groups. The timeline of events indicates that following the UN partition plan, there were immediate violent confrontations initiated by Palestinian Arabs against Jewish communities. The attacks included organized military actions from both local Arab militias and coordinated efforts from neighboring Arab states after Israel's declaration of independence.

The reliability of the sources used to substantiate this claim is generally high. The information from the U.S. State Department's historical overview provides a detailed account of the events leading to the war, emphasizing the role of Palestinian Arabs in initiating hostilities (Milestones: The Arab-Israeli War of 1948). Similarly, the Wikipedia entry on the 1948 Arab-Israeli War corroborates these events, detailing the sequence of attacks and the involvement of Arab states (Wikipedia: 1948 Arab-Israeli War).

While some narratives may emphasize the context of Jewish immigration and settlement in Palestine as a contributing factor to the conflict, the specific claim regarding who attacked first is supported by historical accounts that document the actions of Arab forces prior to and immediately following the establishment of Israel.

Conclusion

The claim that "the Arabs attacked the Jews first" is True. The evidence indicates that the initial violence was indeed initiated by Arab groups in response to the UN partition plan and escalated further with the invasion of neighboring Arab states following Israel's declaration of independence. The historical context and sequence of events substantiate this assertion.

Fact Check: The Arabs attacked the Jews first.