The Arab-Israeli War of 1948 broke out when 5 Arab nations invaded territory in the former British/Palestinian mandate immediately following the announcement of the independence of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948. The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 181 (also known as the Partition Resolution) that would divide Great Britain’s former Palestinian mandate into Jewish and Arab states in May 1948. Many Palestinian Arabs refused to recognize this arrangement, which they regarded as favorable to the Jewish people and unfair to the Arab population in Israel. The United States sought a middle way by supporting the United Nations resolution, but also encouraging negotiations between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East. Understanding this moment in history is vital to understanding the ongoing violence in this area of the world today.