Final answer:
Arab nations responded to the creation of Israel by engaging in wars against it, rather than accepting the UN Partition Plan. Despite facing opposition, Israel managed to defend its territory and even expand its borders, aided by the United States and Britain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The creation of Israel in 1948 was met with significant resistance by Arab nations. Upon the declaration of Israeli independence based on the U.N. borders, which were rejected by both the local Arabs and neighboring Arab countries, Arab nations responded by engaging in multiple wars against the newly established state. Notably, Arab states such as Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan, under the guise of the Arab Liberation Army, attacked Israel. This commenced the First Arab-Israeli War, continuing a series of conflicts such as the wars in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, and 1982.
Despite the challenges, with substantial aid from allies like the United States and Britain, Israel not only maintained its existence but also extended its borders beyond those recommended by the U.N., leading to a substantial Palestinian displacement and refugee crisis. Instead of accepting the UN Partition Plan for Palestine, the Arab nations considered Israel an arbitrary creation of Western powers and refused to recognize it as a legitimate state. However, peace processes in the following decades did lead to agreements and diplomatic recognition from nations like Egypt in 1979.