Why did combined Arab forces attack Israel in 1947?

The combined Arab forces attacked Israel in 1947 in an attempt to prevent the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. The United Nations had proposed a partition plan in 1947, which would divide Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. The Jewish community in Palestine accepted the plan, but the Arab League and the Arab Higher Committee, representing the Palestinian Arabs, rejected it.

The Arab forces, consisting of troops from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, intervened in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which began on May 15, 1948, the day after the British Mandate for Palestine expired. The Arab countries aimed to prevent the creation of the State of Israel and to ensure that Palestine would remain under Arab control.

The reasons for the Arab attack on Israel were multifaceted and included:

1. Opposition to the partition plan: The Arab countries and the Palestinian Arabs opposed the UN partition plan, arguing that it violated the principles of self-determination and that it gave a disproportionate amount of land to the Jewish community, which represented a minority of the population at the time.

2. Fear of Jewish expansionism: Some Arab leaders feared that the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine would lead to further Jewish expansionism in the region and threaten Arab sovereignty.

3. Influence of Arab nationalism: The rise of Arab nationalism in the early 20th century contributed to the Arab countries' desire to maintain control over Palestine and prevent the creation of a Jewish state.

4. Religious and cultural factors: Palestine holds significant religious and cultural importance for both Jews and Muslims. For Muslims, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem are sacred sites, and the Arab countries saw it as their duty to protect these sites from Jewish control.

The Arab attack on Israel ultimately failed, and Israel emerged victorious in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The war resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and the establishment of the State of Israel.