1939 - 1947 From the London Conference to the UN Partition Recommendation This is the last of four articles in a series of articles depicting the chronology of events leading up to the nakba  Jerusalem street scene outside Jaffa Gate, early 1940s. 1939
* London Conference ends with no agreement reached.
* Malcom MacDonald, Colonial Secretary of State, issues White Paper of 1939 embodying British solution to Palestine problem: conditional independence for unitary Palestinian state after ten years; admission of 15,000 Jewish immigrants annually into Palestine for five years, with immigration after that subject to "Arab acquiescence"; protection of Palestinian land rights against Zionist acquisition.
* British House of Commons votes 268 to 179 to approve White Paper of 1939.
* Irgun calls for conquest of Palestine by force.
* Outbreak of World War II.
* Stern Gang, formed under Avraham Stern by dissident Irgunists, in protest against 1939 White Paper policy, calls for alliance with Axis powers in war against British.
1940 - 1945
* Arrival of over 60,000 Zionist immigrants, including 20 - 25,000 who have entered the country illegally, increases Jewish population in Palestine to 31% of total. Registered Jewish land ownership rises to 6% of area of country.
1940
* Land Transfers Regulations, suggested by 1939 White Paper to protect Palestinian land rights against Zionist acquisition, enter into force.
* Death of Vladimir Jabotinsky, right-wing founder of Zionist Revisionist movement.
1942
* Avraham Stern, founder of Stern Gang, killed by British police.
* Zionist Biltmore Conference held in New York and attended by leading Zionists from US and Palestine, urges that "Palestine be established as a Jewish commonwealth".
1943
* Haganah steals arms and explosives from British military installations.
* David Ben-Gurion states that end of World War II will be beginning of Zionist struggle in Palestine.
* Five-year limit on Jewish immigration extended so all 75,000 visas permitted in 1939 White Paper can be filled.
1944
* Stern Gang and Irgun join to conduct terror campaign against British.
* US Congress introduces joint resolution endorsing Biltmore program.
* British Labor Party passes resolution recommending that Palestinians be "encouraged" to move out of Palestine to make way for Jewish immigrants.
* Failure of an attempt by Zionist terrorists to assassinate High Commissioner Sir Harold MacMichael and Lady Mac Michael in Jerusalem.
* Preparatory Conference on Arab Unity held in Alexandria, Egypt, and attended by Palestinian representatives, proposes formation of Arab state in Palestine in which non-Arab community will have full citizenship rights.
* Stern Gang murders Lord Moyne, British resident minister of state in Cairo.
1945
* President Roosevelt meets King ibn-Saud at Suez Canal and assures him US will make no move hostile to Arab peoples.
* Covenant of League of Arab States, emphasizing Arab character of Palestine, signed in Cairo by representatives of Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan and Yemen.
* End of World War II in Europe.
* On visit to US, Ben-Gurion meets with 19 prominent American Zionists, who pledge to finance purchase in US of military industrial machinery for use of Haganah.
* President Truman asks British Prime Minister Clement Attlee to grant immigration certificates allowing 100,000 Jews into Palestine.
* Large-scale illegal Jewish immigration into Palestine resumes under Haganah control.
* British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin issues White Paper announcing continued Jewish immigration into Palestine after exhaustion of 1939 White Paper quota.
* Arab League secretary general objects to continued Zionist mass immigration and inquires what contribution US and Britain are making to relieve postwar Jewish refugee problem in Europe.
1946
January:
* King ibn-Saud of Saudi Arabia and King Farouk of Egypt issue joint statement from Cairo expressing support for Palestinians.
February:
* Palestinians strike in protest against British decision to allow Zionist mass immigration to continue at rate of 1939 quota.
March:
* Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry, proposed in 1945 White Paper, arrives in Palestine.
* Arab League establishes fund to protect Palestinian farmers from Zionist land acquisition.
May:
* Anglo-American Committee report estimates size of Jewish armed forces at around 61 - 69,000 people and declares "private armies" illegal. Recommends admission of 100,00 Jews into Palestine and abolition of Land Transfers Regulations. Palestinians strike in protest.
June:
* Arab League meeting in Syria adopts secret resolutions warning Britain and US that disregard for Palestinian rights will damage their oil and commercial interests in Arab World.
* Simultaneous attacks by Haganah on eight major railroad and highway bridges.
* British forces arrest 2,675 Jews, including four members of Jewish Agency, in retaliation for terrorist attacks.
July:
* British White Paper on terrorism in Palestine accuses Haganah of cooperating with IZL and Stern Gang in acts of sabotage and violence.
* Anglo-American Conference, meeting in London, produces Morrison-Grady Plan proposing federal scheme to solve Palestine problem; plan rejected by both Arabs and Zionist leaders.
September:
* Delegates from Arab States to Round Table Conference in London proposes unitary state of Palestine, preserving current Arab majority in which Jews would have full civil rights.
* British security officer for Tel Aviv killed with his wife when their house blown up by Zionist terrorists.
October:
* Inner Zionist Council declares that only establishment of Jewish state can solve twin problems of Jewish people and Palestine.
December:
* Jewish Agency Executive appeals for cessation of acts of terrorism by Jews.
* Arab League calls on Britain to arm Palestinians against Zionist terrorist attacks.
* World Zionist Congress, meeting in Basel, decides not to send representatives to London Conference. Source: Al Nakba In this series: Chronology of events before the Nakba: 1876 - 1918 Chronology of events before the Nakba: 1918 - 1935 Chronology of events before the Nakba: 1936 -1939 |
