The Arab Rebellion and British partition plan - British Response - The British White Paper (1939)

3 important questions on The Arab Rebellion and British partition plan - British Response - The British White Paper (1939)

Why did the British issue their White Paper in 1939?

  1. Fear of WW2: War in Europe looked increasingly likely; but 20,000 British troops were tied down in Palestine to maintain order
  2. Britain was anxious to preserve oil supplies in the case of war; therefore an appeasement of Arab's policy was followed by Britain to protect her oil supplies. This meant conciliating Arab opinion over Palestine.

What did the 1939 British White Paper propose?

  1. Over next 5 years only a maximum of 10,000 Jews would be allowed to settle in Palestine each year
  2. Additionally, a quota of 25,000 Jewish refugees would be allowed into Palestine
  3. Thereafter no further Jewish immigration, unless Arabs agreed
  4. Independence for Palestine within 10 years, with Palestine preserved as a single state with a joint Arab-Jewish government

What was the Zionist reaction to the 1939 British White Paper?

They were outraged; particularly as at that time Jewish communities in Europe were threatened by the Nazis.

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