By Zoe and Gavi

The UN stands for the United Nations. The United Nations is an organization in New York. It has representatives from each country that vote on problems that effect the whole world. The United Nations

In 1947, the U.N. was voting whether the Jews should get their own state. At that time, the British controlled Palestine. The reason for the vote was that the Palestinian Arabs and the Jews both wanted the same land. During the vote, Jews all over the world hovered over the radio, waiting for the results. The U.N. recommended to partition the land between the Jews and the Palestinian Arabs. On November 29, 1947 the resolution passed for a Jewish state and an Arab state with Jerusalem under international supervision. (see map slide) The vote: 33 countries in favor and 13 against. On May 14, 1948 the British Mandate ended. The Arabs did not accept the plan. The Jews accepted the U.N. Partition Plan and declared their independence. There was dancing in the streets and great joy, but not for long. The very next day armies from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia attacked the new state of Israel. The War of Independence had begun. Masses of Arab tanks and planes assaulted Jewish settlements. Hagganah fighters and survivors of WWII camps fought side by side, and settlers in the Kibbutzim defended themselves with rifles and home made bombs. In January 1949, after 20 months of fighting and thousands of casualties on both sides, a truce was declared. The Arab governments agreed to end the war. The Jews now realized their 2,000 year dream. Israel was reborn.

On 29 November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly voted 33 to 13, with 10 abstentions and 1 absent, in favor of the modified Partition Plan. The final vote was as follows: In favor (33 countries, 72% of voting): Latin American and Caribbean (13 countries): Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela Western European and Others (12countries): Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States Eastern European (5 countries): Byelorussia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Ukraine (Soviet Union) African (2 countries): Liberia, South Africa Asia-Pacific (1 country): Philippines Against, (13 countries, 28% of voting): Asia-Pacific (9 countries): Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen Western European and Others (2 countries): Greece, Turkey African (1 country): Egypt Latin America (1 country): Cuba Abstentions, (10 countries): Latin American and Caribbean (6 countries): Argentina, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico Asia-Pacific (1 country): Republic of China African (1 country): Ethiopia Western European and Others (1 country): United Kingdom Eastern European (1 country): Yugoslavia Absent, (1 country): Asia (1 country): Thailand

Here are the results of the UN Partition Plan Blue……….Jewish State Orange…....Arab State Pink……….International Zone