Factors leading to the creation of Israel

Question 1

What was Britain’s adopted approach towards Jewish immigration in Palestine during the war?

Answer 1

They forbade it and instead placed Jewish refugees in detention camps in Mauritius

Question 2

What was the Jewish response to Britain in Palestine during the war?

Answer 2

They supported the British e.g. Haganah and Britain arranged a cease fire in 1940. However, they continued to smuggle Jewish immigrants into Palestine despite this being forbidden.

Question 3

How did the Arabs respond to Britain in Palestine during the war?

Answer 3

Most Arabs supported Britain during the war and some even signed up for the British Army. Others however, such as the exiled Grand Mufti of Jerusalem declared a Jihad against the allies in November 1941

Question 4

How important was Palestine during the second world war?

Answer 4

It was of a smaller importance because it was not a major theatre of war.

Question 5

What were the four main factors that led to the creation of Israel?

Answer 5

• Jewish Terrorism
• UN
• US Lobbying
• Sympathy and Guilt

Question 6

When did the UN agree to the creation of Israel? When did this officially come into place?

Answer 6

November 1947 - UN GA passed the resolution for the partitioning of Palestine
May 1948 - Zionist leader Ben-Gurion announced the establishment of Israel

Question 7

How many Jews immigrated to Israel between 1948 and 1951? What proportion of Jewish displaced persons in Europe ended up in Isrel?

Answer 7

700,000 in total

2/3 of Jewish displaced persons ended up in Israel

Question 8

What was the UN’s published plan for Palestine in 1947? What were the problems associated with the geographical divisions made in the plan?

Answer 8

The creation of an Arab State, a Jewish State and the City of Jerusalem.
The Jewish state contained however a large Arab minority and there were still some Jews in the Arab state drawn up

Question 9

Which political figure was a strong backer of the UN’s proposed partition plan?

Answer 9

President Truman

Question 10

What raised Palestine $75m in 1947? How did this help convince Britain to follow Truman’s stance on Palestine?

Answer 10

The 1947 United Jewish Appeal in the USA
This showed how many dollars that Palestine brought into the sterling zone. Hence, Britain had an economic incentive to share Truman’s intentions for Palestine

Question 11

How many petitions were delivered to the White House in support of a Jewish state?

Answer 11

1m

Question 12

What was the recommendation of an Anglo-American Committee of Enquiry at the end of the war?

Answer 12

That 100,000 Jews be immediately admitted to Palestine

Question 13

Who said: “No words can express the horror which is felt by Her Majesty’s government” about the Holocaust

Answer 13

Winston Churchill

Question 14

Which report from August 1945 solidified British sympathy for the plight of the displaced Jews at the end of the war?

Answer 14

The Harrison Report

Question 15

By 1946, how many Jewish refugees were in displaced camps in Europe?

Answer 15

250,000

Question 16

Why were Jews hesitant to go back to their homeland after the war?

Answer 16

• It was often emotionally difficult to do so
• They had often lost their homes and belongings
• They no longer had a Jewish community to be with there
• It could also be dangerous

Question 17

Which country saw particularly many Jewish pogroms after the war? Give an example

Answer 17

Poland

Kielce Pogrom

Question 18

What was the name of the Jewish refugee ship in 1942 which Britain refused entry into Palestine? What happened to the ship?

Answer 18

Struma Ship

The ship blew up after having been turned round and everyone on board died

Question 19

The rejection of which Jewish refugee ship increased international pressure on Britain to allow free Jewish immigration into Palestine? When was this?

Answer 19

The Exodus in 1947

Question 20

When did Britain begin troop withdrawal from Palestine? Why?

Answer 20

Early 1948 because there was increasing fighting and violence undertaken by Jewish paramilitary groups campaigning for increased Jewish settlement

Question 21

What was Operation Nahshon?

Answer 21

An offensive operation by Hagannah against Arab villages which prompted the fleeing of many Palestinians

Question 22

How many Arabs had fled Palestine by May 1948?

Answer 22

300,000

Question 23

When did Irgun first declar a revolt in Palestine?

Answer 23

February 1944

Question 24

When did the Jewish Resistance Movement form? How did this contribute to the creation of Israel?

Answer 24

Autumn 1945 when Haganah began collaboration with Urgun and Lehi.
The terrorist action caused politicians in Britain to consider that Palestine was too difficult to control. Thus, they handed Palestine over to the UN in 1947.

Question 25

What action did Irgun carry out in July 1946 in an attempt to encourage more Jewish refugees to be allowed to settle in Israel? Why was this move slightly counter-productive?

Answer 25

They exploded the King David Hotel in Jerusalem which killed 88 people (including 15 Jews)
It broke their alliance with Haganah however.

Question 26

When did Britain hand over control of Palestine to the UN following too much internal unrest?

Answer 26

February 1947

Question 27

How much did it cost Britain to govern Palestine 1945-47?

Answer 27

£100m

Question 28

How many British soldiers died fighting in Palestine after the war?

Answer 28

330

Question 29

How had Britain’s influence as a world banker declined following WW2?

Answer 29

• Bretton Woods agreement set up the IMF and World Bank which were alternative bankers to Britain
• Only the dollar became tied to gold and the pound was set against the dollars. This reduced confidence in Britain’s currency and many countries thus converted their sterling reserves into dollars
• Britain had to make the pound sterling freely convertible to dollars at a fixed rate by Spring 1947 (there was huge demand for this conversion)

Question 30

When was Britain forced to devalue the pound following high balance of payments deficits? By how much?

Answer 30

1949

30%

Question 31

Why did British trade fall off after WW2?

Answer 31

• Since many countries adopted the dollar as their reserve currency, this removed the advantage of trading in a sterling zone without exchange controls
• Britain’s economy was geared for war and hence couldn’t accomodate the high international demand for consumer goods. The USA could.
• The devlaued currency in 1949 made imports much more expensive for Britain.

Question 32

Where was there notable Arab violence prior to the creation of Israel?

Answer 32

• December 1947: Arab riots in Jerusalem

- February 1948: Arabs detonated explosives in Jerusalem, killing 60

Question 33

Who did Lehi kill in Cairo in 1944?

Answer 33

Lord Moyne - the highest ranking British official in the Middle-East at the time

Question 34

What was the Sergeant’s affair? What was the reaction?

Answer 34

The execution of two British sergeants by Irgun in reprisal for the execution of 3 Irgun militants in July 1947. It brought widespread condemnation from the British public and the authorities carried out arrests and forbade Palestinian Jews from leaving the country.

Question 35

What were the principle targets of Haganah’s resistance actions?

Answer 35

British immigration control and the railway system

Question 36

What had Britain established at the end of WW2 which stoked Zionist paramilitary opposition?

Answer 36

Military courts and the death penalty for essentially any crime associated with the paramilitary groups (e.g. smuggling/possessing weapons, belonging to organisation)

Question 37

How many British soldiers were stationed in Palestine by 1947?

Answer 37

100,000

Question 38

When did Irgun set fire to an oil refinery in Haifa?

Answer 38

March 1947

Question 39

What was the political factor leading to Britain referring the Palestine problem to the UN?

Answer 39

In September 1946, the British called a conference of Jewish and Arab leaders in London. When this ended in deadlock in February 1947, they were forced to turn to the UN for the solution.

Question 40

When and what was operation Agatha?

Answer 40

Jewish Agency offices and buildings were raided in June 1946 and arms caches discovered. Led to the arrest of many Jews suspected to be involved in terrorism.