Secular Levantine State Established, 1948

What if the United Nations, instead of attempted to establish a Jewish and a Palestinian state in the Middle East, instead decided to establish a secular state encompassing everyone?

It could still be sold as a Jewish national home due to its location, the fact that it is being established on the same lines as the secular, democratic US (which did not suffer outbreaks of large-scale anti-Semitic violence the same way Europe did), and the fact that if many Jews come, they'll be a substantial part of the state's population and not a tiny minority that can be easily squished.

Bonus points if they try to balance out the Jews and Sunni Muslims by including Lebanon (Maronite Christians and Shi'ite Muslims) as well.

Methinks this would prevent OTL's Arab-Israeli wars, at least, but the state itself could be unstable, particularly if Lebanon was forced into it.
 
You have to determine why every member of the UN commission, from 13 different nations, reverses their conclusion that a single unified state is impossible.:(
 
I think that having the UN do this is pretty difficult to accomplish. Just before the war King Abdullah of Transjordan offered to give the Jews autonomy within his Kingdom. I'm guessing you would need a POD from the mid 40s to make the Israelis accept the offer. Obviously very different from the scenario you proposed but I think it might work.
 
The instability brings an invasion from the Arab neighbors. I think this changes bascially nothing.

I think that analysis is entirely too simplistic.

Even if Arab-"Levantine" wars still take place, the "Levantine" state will be radically different in size and demographics from OTL Israel. At minimum, it will have both Israel proper and the Occupied Territories from 1948 and much more muted ethnic animosities.

(Bonus points if constant wars with Arab nationalist enemies intent on creating an explicitly Arab state on this territory cement a "Levantine" identity and kill these ethnic aminosities entirely, much like how the American Revolution helped knit the Colonies together.)

Including Lebanon makes things more difficult--it will ensure Syrian animosity for awhile at least--but that also increases the "Levantine" population and causes demographic shifts. Members of different ethnic and religious groups will move around, for example.

If the Levantine state inherits Lebanon's traditional links with France, that means French support well after OTL Israel lost it.

However, if France opposes the inclusion of Lebanon, we could see French backing for the Arab states. The Levantine state might have to seek out alliances with states opposed to France--the Soviet bloc, for example, or Algeria after France loses it.
 
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I think that having the UN do this is pretty difficult to accomplish. Just before the war King Abdullah of Transjordan offered to give the Jews autonomy within his Kingdom. I'm guessing you would need a POD from the mid 40s to make the Israelis accept the offer. Obviously very different from the scenario you proposed but I think it might work.

Wasn't it the UN that actually established Israel?
 
Wasn't it the UN that actually established Israel?

The UN put forward a plan to partition the British Mandate. yes. They didn't really "establish" Israel though. Israel declared its own independence.

In the scenario I suggested Israel would never declare independence because they would agree to autonomy under the Hashemites. ITTL The UN partition plan could be ignored or it could be used as a roadmap for the boundaries of the Jewish Autonomous region.
 
This pretty much changes nothing. The Arabs and Jews would still see it as an attempt as a homeland for the Jewish survivors of WWII and other Jews so.....
 
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