The claim that the Holocaust was the main factor in the birth of the State of Israel has been widely accepted in Israel and abroad in recent decades. For completely different ideological   reasons, this allegedly "fact" has been endorsed by both supporters of Zionism and the State of Israel and by their extreme opponents. The question whether the Holocaust had a significant influence on the establishment of a Jewish state in 1948, has been debated by researchers as well. The aim of this course is to analyze the various views and to examine the causal connection between the Holocaust and the establishment of the state of   Israel. The following questions among others will be discussed: What was the impact of the concentration of Jewish survivors in DP Camps in Germany on international decisions regarding the conflict in Palestine? What was the weight of practical and political considerations on decision-making regarding the partition plan? Did facts about and the reactions to the Holocaust played decisive role in the considerations of the international community?