Case Study 3-1

The Arab-Israeli Conflict

1.What document formed the basis of British policy regarding Palestine during WW2?

The 1939 White Paper

2.To whom did the Zionists turn for support during the war?

The United States of America

3. How did WW2 affect European Jewish people? Extreme genocide, resulting in 6m+ killed

4. P. 174: “The White Paper immigration quotas were finally exhausted in December 1945…” What was the next step to be taken then, according to the 1939 White Paper?

Discontinue immigration to Palestine

5.a. What did American President Truman want British Prime Minister Attlee to do in 1945 about the thousands of displaced Jewish immigrants? Lift immigration restrictions to let in 100,000

Jews

b. What did Attlee do? Temporarily increased Jewish immigration to

1500 per month; announced formation of Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry

6. Why was the issue of post-WW2 Jewish immigration so much more urgent than the pre-war issue? They literally had no homes to return to

7.What three recommendations did the Anglo-American Committee make?

Ruled out the need for an Arab or Jewish state in Palestine

Recommended international trusteeship under British control

Agreed to increase Jewish immigration to 100,000

8. Ernest Bevin,Britain’s Foreign Minister, stated Britain would only agree to the full 100,000 immigrants if what conditions were met? If the Jews disbanded their secret armies If Americans would send troops to help preserve

order

9. Continued negotiations resulted in the Morrison-Grady Plan.What did it propose? What happened?

It proposed two autonomous provinces in Palestine- 1 Arab, 1 Jewish; negotiations stopped, as neither Arabs nor Jews were interested

10. How did the radical secret army, the Irgun, plan to get the British to leave Palestine? Through terrorism: railway system;bridges;

Army camps; Army stores; planes; King David Hotel

11. In the Yom Kippur Address, what plan did President Truman state the USA would be willing to support?

The creation of a separate Jewish state in Palestine; 100,000 immigrants

12. To what newly-formed body did Britain plan to hand over the whole Palestine problem?

The United Nations

13a. Outline the main provisions of the UN partition plan.

Palestine to be partitioned into Arab and Jewish states with economic union; Jerusalem to be international city

b. Who rejected the plan? Was it implemented?

The USA withdrew support. No

14. In 1947 civil war broke out between the Arabs and Jews. What serious new problem did this create? About 700,000+ Palestinian refugees

15. What were the Jewish people able to proclaim in 1948, as a result of military operations?

independence

16. In what way could King Abdullah of Trans-Jordan be considered a “traitor” to the cause of the Arabs? He was hoping to get territory in Palestine for

himself

17. Describe the details and outcome of Israel’s first war as a new country.

May 15- Syria, Iraq, Egypt,and Trans-Jordan invaded Israel

UN sent Bernadotte & Serot to mediate- Stern group assassinated them

December- Israel won Israel got land bordering on the

Mediterranean Sea, Jordan got West Bank and East Jerusalem, Egypt got Gaza Strip