RE: Palestine Today
⁜→ P F Tinmore, et al,
You are twisting words here.
Are you saying that Palestinian territory was up for grabs. The ones with the guns get the territory?
How does this jive with the prohibition of acquiring territory by force?
(COMMENT)
In 1948, there was no "acquiring territory by force" in regards to the original partitions. The Arab Palestinians were the First Cause that brings us to the condition set for today.
First off, the Territory formerly under the Mandate for Palestine was in the hands of the Allied Powers. The War with the Ottoman Empire/Turkish Republic brought to closure and the Treaty of Lausanne. And as part of that Treaty, it stipulated that (excerpt) "the future of these territories and islands being settled or to be settled by the parties concerned." The Arab Palestinians were not a "party" to the Treaty.
The Allied Powers at the San Remo Convention wrote the backbone of the Mandate for Palestine.
The territory was not "up for grabs." It was that the leadership of the Arab Higher Committee (AHC), the Chairman (
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini) of the committee and former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, at the outbreak of
World War I in 1914, al-Husseini received a commission in the
Ottoman Army as an artillery officer. And take notice that the Message of Independence sent by the All Palestine Government
(See Posting #14039) was signed by a former General of the Ottoman Army (Ahmed Hilmi Pasha). They were NOT parties to the conflict and they were NOT promised anything. However, even as early as 1923, a third attempt was made to establish an institution through which the Arab population of Palestine could be brought into cooperation with the government. In January 1948, the AHC the last attempt made to a place at the table in the development of the Self-Governing Institutions. Their response was:
“ARAB HIGHER COMMITTEE IS DETERMINED PERSIST IN REJECTION PARTITION AND IN REFUSAL RECOGNIZE UNO RESOLUTION THIS RESPECT AND ANYTHING DERIVING THEREFROM. FOR THESE REASONS IT IS UNABLE ACCEPT INVITATION”
The defiance exhibited by the Arab Palestinians --- the all or nothing attitude --- is the same attitude maintained throughout the Mandate Period, and deep into the conflict with a remolding of the position: "no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations."

Most Respectfully,
R