As the Turkish Empire crumbled, Europe’s colonial powers vied to win control of the Holy Land. In 1917, General Allenby’s forces liberated Jerusalem paving the way for the British mandate. However, decades of Arab-Jewish unrest and growing international pressure after the Nazi Holocaust caused Britain to return the mandate in 1947 and the UN partitioned Palestine.
On May 14, 1948 the State of Israel was declared – and within hours war broke out. After months of desperate fighting the independence of Israel was secured – but Jerusalem was left a divided city.
The sound of snipers’ bullets echoed across the divide until it was reunited by the Six Day War of 1967 – to the celebration of the Jews and the sorrow of the Palestinians. Now the world watches as efforts are made to finally reach a lasting peace for this eternal city.
This page is part of the book The Holy Land of Jesus
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