November 30, 1947
As soon as the 1947 UN Partition resolution is passed, protracted communal violence increases between Arabs and Jews. This war for independence is one of Israel’s most severe trials, and the young nation sustains a loss of about 1% of its population. During the war, Israel expands its territory by 35%, Egypt retains 129 square mile Gaza Strip, and Jordan occupies 23 percent of Palestine (including East Jerusalem) which comes to be known as the West Bank. Jerusalem is left divided between Jordan and Israel. The proposed Arab state is stillborn.