In 1947, the UN General Assembly voted to partition the British Mandate over Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. The Palestinians and Arab states rejected this plan. When Israel declared independence in 1948, neighboring Arab states invaded the country. When the fighting stopped, the state of Israel was firmly established. Meanwhile, Egypt controlled Gaza, and Jordan controlled the eastern part of Jerusalem and the West Bank. Another war in 1967 left Israel in control of Gaza, the West Bank, and all of Jerusalem. To this day, the Palestinians do not have a country of their own; they exercise limited control in 40 percent of the West Bank and greater control in the Gaza Strip.Share
