Benny Hinn - Blood In The Sand: A journey through the Middle East conflict—the stakes, the solutions, and why there is hope

To make matters worse, in July the British government seized the Exodus, a ship crammed with over forty-five hundred survivors of the Holocaust, victims of the Nazi regime. The world was shocked when these homeless, exhausted people were returned to Germany.[8]

That same month, the United Nations declared that Palestine would be partitioned into a Jewish state and an Arab state, with Jerusalem to be administered internationally by the UN. The date of May 15, 1948, was set for British withdrawal.

The Jewish people living in Palestine accepted the resolution, but it was totally rejected by Arabs worldwide. At the time the Jewish population numbered approximately six hundred fifty thousand compared to the Palestinian Arab population of over one million.[9]

A Nation Is Born

In the final days of the Mandate, Britain bragged on how much Palestine had improvedbetter roads, schools, utilities, and medical care. But politically, life was now unbearable, and it was time to leave.

In one final ceremony at Government House in Jerusalem on Friday, May 14, 1948, a small military band played God Save the King, and the British quietly departed. The Union Jack was lowered and a Red Cross flag flew in its place.

That same afternoon, only hours before the Mandate was set to expire, crowds gathered in anticipation outside of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art (originally the home of Tel Avivs first mayor, Meir Dizengoff). Although the ceremony was not officially publicized (to avoid a terrorist attack), word of a secret radio broadcast of the event spread like wildfire, and both Jews and Arabs across the Holy Land tuned in to hear the momentous occasion.

Inside the museum, also known as Independence Hall, beneath a large portrait of Theodore Herzl, a declaration of independence was read and signed by David Ben-Gurion and others in the presence of various leaders of the Jewish community and some two hundred specially invited guests. After the declaration ceremony, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, played what would become Israels national anthem: HaTikva (which means The Hope) from the museums balcony.[10] After nearly two thousand years, Israel had once more become a nation, and soon the Star of David would be raised across the land.

Yet the moment Israels statehood was announced, armies began mobilizing in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Trans-Jordan, and other Arab nations. Only an all-out war between Arabs and Israelis would determine the outcome.

CHAPTER 10

Desperate Days

My fathers heart sank when he was told by the parents of Clemencethe girl he was going to marryOur family is leaving Jaffa. Its impossible for us to stay here any longer. We are going to Ramallah to live with our relatives.

The reason my mothers family felt the urgency to leave had nothing to do with religion or their ethnic backgroundit was purely out of fear and to make certain the children would be safe in case war did break out. Plus, they owned a car, making it easier to make the journey to Ramallah.

On the other hand, the Hinns decided to remain in Jaffa and ride out whatever events unfolded.

My parents told me that living in Jaffa during this time was nerve-wracking. Every citizen felt the city was on the brink of total disaster. It was all people could talk about.

My mothers family wasnt the only family in a hurry to find a new home. From the moment the United Nations announced the plan for Palestine to be partitioned into two separate Arab and Jewish entities, tension was building. In Jaffa the situation was particularly troubling because the official plan called for it to be an Arab enclave surrounded by Israel.

Even before the War of Independence, which followed the declaration of a Jewish state in May 1948, turmoil was escalating in every corner of Palestinehomemade bombs were exploding and citizens were being ambushed. Rumors on the street convinced citizens an invasion by the Jewish militant underground was imminentthat they wanted to occupy the city before statehood.

Many years later, when my father and I reminisced about events in Jaffa, he told me of the January 1948 attack near the Clock Tower that reduced the area to rubble. Concerning those dark days, he admitted, We really didnt know whether we would live or die.

Even before the War of Independence, which followed the declaration of a Jewish state in May 1948, turmoil was escalating in every corner of Palestinehomemade bombs were exploding and citizens were being ambushed.

Almost without notice, wealthy Arabs quietly fled to their summer homes in Cairo or Beirut. This sent uneasy signals to the average worker that larger concerns were looming. Before long, businesses closed and thousands were without jobs.

The Outbreak

There were two major resistance groups operating in Palestine: the Haganah and the Irgun. The Haganah had been organized in the 1920s to protect Jewish farmland and the collective communities known as kibbutzim. But during the Arab riots of the 1930s, the Irgun, which I mentioned in the last chapter, split off and became extremely militant.

At the start of the Jewish Passover, April 1948, the Irgun publicly announced it was going to capture Jaffa to keep it from becoming an Arab military base once the British pulled out of Palestine. This was more than an idle threat. Suddenly, mortar fire began raining down on the city.

To the north, a similar situation was occurring at Haifa, and mass evacuations were taking place. In anticipation of the assault, Arabs had recruited volunteer Muslim soldiers from Syria, Iraq, and as far away as Bosnia to help defend the city.

News of the outbreak aroused concern in the West, and the British still remaining in Palestine attempted to stop the onslaught. The world was extremely concerned for the plight of the Israelis.

Escaping the Carnage

The situation was out of control, and not even the British could quell the uprisings. Fear and anger in Jaffa had spilled into the streets. Cars were being firebombed, stores looted, and snipers lurked on rooftops. At night the rioting was rampant, and when the sun came up, the residents of Jaffa were busy burying their dead.

Arab and Christian families were now fleeing by the thousands, not knowing when or if they would ever return. The harbor was jammed with cargo ships helping people escape the carnage.

A Quick Departure

As I mentioned, the Salamehs (my moms family) hurriedly packed their belongings and left to live with their relatives in Ramallah, a city just north of Jerusalem.

The Hinns, unsure of the future, decided to remain in Jaffa and pray for the best rather than retreating to Egypt. The situation soon deteriorated, and Clemence and Constandi were now separated by more than miles. There was an armed border between them, which was illegal to cross.

Parting was heart wrenching for these two young people who were deeply in love. Remember, my father had already given Clemence a ring, and they had made promises to each other that they would marry.

It was a tearful separation, but Constandi consoled his future bride, assuring her, Dont worry. This will soon be over, and it wont be long until we are together again.

On May 9, 1948, after a complete breakdown of municipal services, the remaining leaders of Jaffa issued a proclamation declaring it an open cityan undefended town. There would be no more resistance; the community would submit to Jewish rule.

By this time less than five thousand Arabs remained in Jaffadown from seventy thousand just a few months earlier.1 Constandi Hinn was able to secure employment with the postal service in Jaffa, yet his heart was in Ramallah. All I could think about was a way to see Clemence, he once told the family as he recalled those desperate days.

All-out War

Meanwhile, one week later, when Israel officially became a state, it ignited a far wider battle in the region. The early conflicts leading up to Jewish independence pale in comparison to what took place immediately following the declaration of independence.