In 1945, Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen came together to form the Arab League, strengthening ideals of Arab solidarity and opposition to Zionism. "Paradoxically the Arab League was a step against Arab unity or Arab nationalism since it focused on Arab solidarity among independent States" (Houri, Walid). When the Jewish State was declared in 1948, the armies of Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Trans-Jordan entered into war with Israel, giving a fleeting boost to Arab solidarity. However, the total disharmony between the Arab states and thus between their armies caused them to lose the war, and ultimately reinforced state separatism. Veterans from the 1948 war, including Gamal Abdel Nasser (the soon-to-be-president of Egypt) saw how Arab disunity caused their military defeat. After the war, they began a movement for real Arab unity throughout the region.