HIST 244 1st Edition Lecture 4The Twice Promised Land: Britain Retreats, 1917-1940 Outline:I. British Policies: OverviewII. Ambivalent Zionist Patron, 1917-1928III. Britain Backpedals 1929-1936IV. Britain's Final About-Face, 1936-1939V. Why Didn't British Policy Work?Lecture:I. British Policies: Overview--Under British that yishuv developed into a proto-state. Zionism arose in the 1930s with the help of the British. Only consistent goal was to protect the British empire, so they have a more instrumental role rather than an emotion role in Zionism. Because they wanted to maximize influence, they sometimes appealed to both Arabs and the Jewish. --As Arab resentment increased towards the British, the British realized that they couldn’t support both groups—downscaled their support for Zionism. --If it weren’t for WWII, the Jewish probably wouldn’t have gotten an independent state. II. Ambivalent Zionist Patron, 1917-1928These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.-1915: helped the Arabs lead a revolt against the ottomans, which would promise them independent land. British must hold this promise. HOWEVER, pressure from France kept the British from supporting a large Arab state. • British deny that Palestine was included in creating an independent pan-Arab state. • Considered Jewish views more heavily than Arab views…? Having promised the Arabs a kingdom of their own, the British also promised Palestine to the Jews. -British support for Zionism responded to 5 motives:• humanitarian and religious motive (bible)• give a moral justification to their political control over Palestine. • By sending European Jews to Palestine, Britain didn’t want any more Jews in Britain• Wanted to win Jewish support for allies in WWI (maintain Suez canal). • By planting in Palestine Jews, who depended on British protection…the British wanted to play Jews against the Arabs. -helps secure Palestine, and Palestine would help secure the British empire. Suez canal was Britain’s lifeline (connection Malaysia, India, etc). -First commissioner of Palestine was an urban Jew, and opened it up to Jewish immigration, refused Arabcomplaints to stop immigration. --British was careful and set limitations against Zionism. • 1920’s: sought Zionism and wanted to make good connections with the Arab group.• 1922 British issues Whitepaper response. Backpedaled from the Balfour DeclarationBalfour Declaration: area east of the Jordan was off limits to the Jews. 1922: WP: all of Palestine west of Jordan river would be converted to Jewish land, trans-Jordan was off limits to the Jewish. -Jewish had to continue courting British…but British had to keep arms length to Zionism so they wouldn’tdecrease the power of their empire. III. Britain Backpedals 1929-1936--chief problem for Palestinians, had no real pro1929: entire police force was 25 Britain’s.• 1922: White Paper: Jews will never get a state of their own, • 1930: London White paper• Each white paper was more open to Arab demands than before. --Jews were frightened by long term shift in British policy. IV. Britain's Final About-Face, 1936-19391. Great depression but Britain under economic pressed to minimize lk2. new Palestine policy. Nazi-Germany: Determined push to undermine British influence in the middle east. -In other Arab lands (Egypt, Iraq)-pro-Nazi revolt in 1941. --Britain would need Arab support if it was going to stay as a great power. Conclusion: cut Zionist connection; prepare Palestine for independence under the Arabs. Arab Revolt. • Peel Commission of 1937: Jewish and Arab nationalism was on a collision course. Fear and mutual animosity, only solution was to create two separate state, Jewish 18%, 75% to Arabs, 7% British control. Urged that most Arabs living in the Jewish state should be moved to the Arab state (first step). o Leaders of Arab revolt rejected the idea of partition. British had no right to partition Arab territory, didn’t want to give the Jewish any leeway….thus, Arab revolt intensified. • May 1939: White Paper – impose a solution on Palestine. By far, the most sympathetic to the Arab position. Bi-national state in 10 years, Jewish population can’t grow above 1/3…dominated by Arab majority. --Britain ended support for a Jewish national home. Now they’re getting attacked by the Jewish. --Almost complete reversal in British policy between 1922 and 1939. Enemies became allies and allies became enemies. V. Why Didn't British Policy Work?-Showed sympathy for Arab demands, offered best chance to reduce conflict. Two conditions needed to be realized but weren’t in order for the 1939 WP to work.• Palestinian leaders would have to accept the white paper and help the British implement it. al-Husayni refused to accept the white paper---didn’t stop all immigration at once, didn't guarantee independent Arab state in 10 years (didn’t trust rebels), afraid he’d be assassinated by the rebels. Slogan:“British into the sea and the Jews to their graves”. But they lost an opportunity to create an Arab-led state. No one the British could work with to help Palestine implement the policy. This was probably a great mistake. Arab %s: 1937: 75%. UN 1947: 45%.1949: 22%.1967: 0%. Currently: 10%. --India worked with the British and was eventually able to take over their country. • Jews to stop immigration and land purchases. As Nazi prepared to annihilate the Jews, they would never stop looking for refuge. 100s of Jews drowned at sea…and no country would help. 1938 Evian Conference in France, what’s going to happen to the Jews? US, France, UN, all refused to take in Jews. DR accepted Jews but only 800 got refuge. Heightening criticism of the British policy. Terms:Balfour Declaration, 1917Chaim Weizmann1922 White Paper1930 White Paper1939 White PaperPeel Commission of 1937Haj Amin al-HusayniEvian