All it Took was 58%

That’s right. Sixty years ago yesterday, 58% of the member states of the United Nations voted in favour of the UN Partition Resolution in a vote of 33-13.

The breakdown was as follows:

The 33 countries ( 58% ) that voted in favour of the partition were: Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Byelorussian SSR, Canada, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Iceland, Liberia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Sweden, South Africa, Ukrainian SSR, United States of America, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Uruguay, Venezuela.

The 13 countries ( 23% ) that voted against resolution were: Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen.

The 10 countries ( 17% ) that abstained were: Argentina, Chile, Republic of China, Colombia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Mexico, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

One state ( 2% )was absent: Thailand

It was an imperfect solution for us. TThe Jewish State was to be in three segments, and was to exclude Tel Aviv-Jaffa (to become an Arab enclave) as well as the areas surrounding Jerusalem. Jerrusalem itself was to be establsiehd as an international zone. We accepted Statehood. We accepted it because we were dreamers. We had been dreamed for the reestablishment of a sovereign state for two thousand years and as imperfect as this solution was, it was better than nothing. And so we accepted it. Unfortunately, the proposed Arab state was unanimously rejected. Any land for the Jews was too much and so we were condemned to a future replete with attacks, conflict, violence, and hatred.

There are no coincidences. Everything happens at its appointed time and sometimes we see the connections and sometimes we do not. And when we do, we often name them as “fate” or “coincidental.” As Jews, we say it’s b’shert. It’s meant to be.

So it was meant to be that the Annapolis Summit took place 60 years to the week after the UN Partition Vote. And it was meant to be that it would be 20 years since my first visit to Israel.

Twenty years later, it still amazes me that my parents were willing to send me to Israel for eight weeks during the school year. Twenty years ago today, I flew to New York with a girl that I had met just a handful of times where we met up with the rest of the group. On December 1, 1987, we arrived at Ben Gurion in Lod. And our “8 week academic adventure” began!

The Alexander Muss High School in Israel was one of the most formative experiences of my life. My love affair with Israel was realized after walking the land, TaNaKh in hand, and viewing Israel through the historical, policitcal, and theological lenses. It was to be the first of many trips throughout these twenty years.

I have been corresponding with a number of my quinn mates this week … How I love the internet!