Swept Away Summary and Analysis

As the Zionist soldiers arrive in the village of Biram, brusque and unfriendly, they take up residence in the homes of villagers, including that of Elias' family. Concurrently, Zionist soldiers are battling with British troops in Southern Palestine and winning. As British troops retreat from an area, the Zionists claim the land, pushing all non-Jewish Palestinians out, without compensation. When the United Nations finally steps in, it partitions Palestine, giving fifty-four per cent of the fertile land to the Zionists, forcing Palestinians to migrate to the remaining forty-six per cent of relatively infertile land. In May, 1948, the British withdrew from Palestine completely, leaving the Zionists to pursue their land grabs, blowing up entire villages in their path. This same month, David Ben Gurion, leader of the Zionists, declared the independent state of Israel and assumed the position of Prime...