Colonial Policy and Administration of Palestine Flashcards
How did Britain get hold of Palestine ?
- it became a British mandate
What was the Balfour Declaration
- A letter from Arthur Balfar to Walter Rothschild which expressed sympathy with the Jewish Zionist aspirations which was released to the press and promised British support for a “ national homeland “ for Jews in Palestine
What did the British promise to the Jews in the Balfour Declaration ?
- promised British support for a ‘ national homeland ‘ for the Jews in Palestine
Who wrote and received the Balfour Declaration ?
- Arthur Balfar ( the foreign secretary ) to Waltar Rothschild, the leader of the British jewish community.
What was the motives behind the Balfour Declaration ?
- partly out of sympathy for the Jews
- mainly to secure the support of the Jews for the US support of the war effort
What was the impact of the Balfour Declaration ?
- Zionist Commission was set up in Palestine in 1929 to campaign for Jewish rights
- In response the Muslims and Arabs formed the Muslim - Christian Association
- Between 1918 and 1920, there were violent crashes between Arabs and Jews, with deaths on both sides.
Why did the British make the McMahon Hussein Agreement ?
- made in an effort to create a third front against the Central Powers, the Allies encouraged the Arab people in the Ottoman Empire to ruse up against their Turkish overlords
Why did the Palestinians accept the McMahon Hussein Agreement ?
- the British promised that land previously held by the Turks would be returned to the Arab nationals who lived in that land.
Impact of the McMahon Hussein Agreement ?
- seemed to directly clash with the Balfour Declaration, 1917
- the Palestinian Problem rose
What was the Palestinian Problem ?
That two distinct schools of thought had developed regarding Palestine
- British had promised Palestine to the Arabs after the war had returned for their wartime support
- That the Balfour Declaration of 1917 had agreed to give British support to the Jews for a homeland in Palestine
Impact of the Palestinian Problem ?
- Meant that it would be difficult for the British to please both which would make administration very difficult
Why was colonial administration for the British difficult in Palestine ?
- the Palestinian Problem
- huge financial strain after the First World War and its aftermath
- Issues between Arabs and Jews
Why was it difficult to coordinate the Jews and Arabs in Palestine ?
- reconciling the growing Jewish community with the established Palestinian Arab community, many of whom resented and feared the newcomers was not easy for the civil government
What were the issues between Jews and Arabs in Palestine ?
- Herbert Samuel tried to bring both Arabs and Jews into elected represented bodies, but his efforts were plagued by eruptions of ethnic tensions which prevented cooperation
Land issues between the Jews and Arabs ?
- Rich Jewish settlers bought land, with the help of the Jewish National Fund, growing number of Palestinian Arabs were evicted from their farms
What was the problem between the government in London and the British authorities in Palestine ?
there was disagreement between the government in Lindon and the authorise in Palestine
- the government I London tended to be pro Jewish
- authorities in Palestine were more sympathetic to the Arab population
What jobs did Palestinian Arabs have ?
- were poor farmers who rented land from absentee landowners
What was the impact of Hitler becoming Chancellor ?
- Jewish immigration into Palestine accelerated
Result of the enquiry into Jewish policy of land acquisition ?
- the enquiry recommended restrictions on jewish land acquisition but pro Jewish feeling in Britain and the US forced the government to back down
Why did Britain send more troops to Palestine in 1936 ?
- to deal with Arab insurgency and attacks on Jews
How many troops did Britain send to Palestine in 1936 ?
- Britain sent 20,000 troops
How did the war leave Britain under pressure in Palestine ?
- the prospect of more Jewish immigrants
Why were British reluctant to accept stateless Jewish refugees into Palestine ?
- Whilst President Truman and the weight of American and international opinion favoured Jewish settlement, Britain wanted to retain allies among Arab leaders, because of its need for oil
Why did Britain want to retain allies with the Middle East ?
- its need for oil in the area
Why did the prospect of more Jewish refugees present difficulty in Palestine ?
- There was outbreaks of Jewish terrorism in Palestine against British troops. Britain forced the prospect of having to police a country in turmoil at a time of financial strain
What was the Peel Report ?
- recommended that Palestine should be partitioned into separate Jewish and Arab states but this was opposed by the Arabs
When was the Peel Report ?
- 1937
What was Britain’s policy in 1937-39 ?
- a policy of repression
- to deal with escalating violence, 100 Arab terrorists were hanged
When did British policy in Palestine change ?
- 1939
What did Britain’s policy in Palestine change to
- it called for a Palestinian state in which Jews currently living in the country would have the right to “ national homeland “
Why did Britain’s policy in Palestine change ?
- due to war being imminent and fears of an Italian attack on Egypt
