Discover the Untold Story of the Partition of the British Mandate of Palestine

The partition of the British Mandate of Palestine is a crucial part of history that shaped the Middle East and continues to impact the region to this day. This article explores the events leading to the partition, its implementation, and the consequences it had on various stakeholders.

The British Mandate of Palestine

After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, the League of Nations granted Britain a mandate to administer Palestine in 1920. The region was a diverse land, home to both Arab Muslims and Jews, and tensions between the communities existed even before British rule.

The British administration faced numerous challenges, including the Arab revolt in 1936 and the growing Zionist movement seeking a Jewish homeland. As the situation worsened, the British were unable to find a solution that would satisfy both sides, leading to the eventual partition of Palestine.

The Partition of the British Mandate of Palestine: The History and Legacy of the United Nations Partition Plan and the Creation of the State of Israel

by Charles River Editors (Kindle Edition)

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The Peel Commission and the 1937 Partition Proposal

In response to the escalating tensions, the British government formed the Peel Commission to investigate and propose a solution. In 1937, the commission recommended a partition plan that would have created separate Arab and Jewish states in Palestine, with Jerusalem as an internationally governed entity.

While the Jewish agency accepted the proposal, the Arabs rejected it, leading to the plan's abandonment by the British government. However, this partition proposal laid the foundation for future discussions regarding the partition of Palestine.

The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP)

In the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, the British government sought a solution to the escalating tensions in Palestine. The issue was taken to the United Nations, and in 1947, the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) was formed.

UNSCOP's aim was to evaluate the situation on the ground and propose a solution. After conducting thorough investigations, UNSCOP recommended the partition of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem placed under international administration.

The United Nations General Assembly's Resolution

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 181, known as the Partition Plan for Palestine. The resolution called for the termination of the British Mandate and the establishment of independent Arab and Jewish states, with Jerusalem being administered by the United Nations.

The resolution received majority support, with 33 countries in favor, 13 against, and 10 abstentions. However, both the Arab League and the Arab Higher Committee rejected the resolution, arguing that it violated the rights of the Palestinian Arab population.

The Impact and Consequences

Following the adoption of the partition plan, violence erupted in Palestine. The British administration struggled to maintain order, and the situation eventually led to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. This war, fought between the newly established State of Israel and the neighboring Arab states, resulted in displacement, loss of life, and a significant change in the geopolitical landscape of the region.

The consequences of the partition continue to be felt in the Middle East today. The establishment of the State of Israel led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs, creating a refugee crisis that persists to this day. The unresolved issues surrounding borders, sovereignty, and Jerusalem have been ongoing sources of tension and conflict.

In

The partition of the British Mandate of Palestine was a pivotal moment in history that shaped the Middle East. The partition plan, proposed by the Peel Commission and later adopted by the United Nations, aimed to create separate Arab and Jewish states in Palestine. However, the rejection by Arab nations and ensuing conflicts resulted in lasting consequences and ongoing disputes. Understanding this historical event is crucial for comprehending the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the wider regional dynamics of the Middle East.

The Partition of the British Mandate of Palestine: The History and Legacy of the United Nations Partition Plan and the Creation of the State of Israel

by Charles River Editors (Kindle Edition)

4.1 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1671 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	82 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

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The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is technically 69 years old and counting but has its roots in over 2,000 years of history. With so much time and history, the Middle East peace process has become laden with unique, politically sensitive concepts like the right of return, contiguous borders, secure borders, demilitarized zones, and security requirements, with players like the Quartet, Palestinian Authority, Fatah, Hamas, the Arab League and Israel. Over time, it has become exceedingly difficult for even sophisticated political pundits and followers to keep track of it all.

Nearly a century before the state of Israel was founded in 1948, Palestine was under the control of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, consisting mostly of Arabs. During the 1850s, Jews began settling in small villages across the lands that once comprised Judea and Samaria, which the Jews considered their ancient Biblical homeland. These efforts to buy property were driven by the motivation of some Jews to help reestablish the land as the Jewish homeland. These Jews became known as Zionists, in reference to Zion, which is often thought of as a reference to all of Israel but was in fact a reference to part of Jerusalem. The Zionists attempted to establish a Jewish National Fund that would assist Jews in buying land in Palestine for Jewish settlement.

In the middle of World War I, the British pledged their support to the Zionist cause and the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine through the Balfour Declaration of November 1917. At the time, the British realized the strategic importance of Palestine because it was near the Suez Canal, and they saw the Zionists as potentially helpful allies in the region following the war. British foreign secretary Arthur James Balfour sent a letter to Lord Rothschild on November 2, 1917, declaring the government’s “sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations,” and favoring “the establishment in Palestine of a National Home for the Jewish People,” with an intent to assist the Jews in achieving it.

In 1947, the British delegated the issue of partitioning the British Mandate to the United Nations, and the U.N. General Assembly set up the Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP). UNSCOP eventually came up with what is now known as the U.N. Partition Plan of 1947. The Partition Plan carved up two strange looking states, but their motive was to create an Israel in which the Jewish population was a 55% majority, while Palestine had an over 90% Palestinian Arab majority. Meanwhile, the city of Jerusalem would be administered internationally, due to the sensitive religious concerns of Muslims, Christians, and Jews. In addition to several Christian holy spots, Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam, and it is situated right next to the Western Wall, the Jews’ holiest remaining site.

On May 14, 1948, the British Mandate officially expired. That same day, the Jewish National Council issued the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel. About 10 minutes later, President Truman officially recognized the State of Israel, and the Soviet Union also quickly recognized Israel. However, the Palestinians and the Arab League did not recognize the new state, and the very next day, armies from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq invaded the former British Mandate to squelch Israel, while Saudi Arabia assisted the Arab armies. Jordan would also get involved in the war.

In early 1949, Israel began signing armistices with Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, which left Israel in control of nearly 75% of the lands that were to be partitioned into the two states under the 1947 plan. The new armistice lines became known as the “Green Line,” and the conflict has continued to involve those lines and the issues that were contested in a war now nearly 70 years old.