1947- Unrest in Palestine- Britain Turns to the United Nations

Jerusalem
Jerusalem

With the end of the World War II, the Jews in Palestine resumed their campaign to gain independence from the British. One of their most potent weapons was bringing into Palestine survivors of the Holocaust. In addition, they launched attacks against British military targets. The more extreme elements also killed British soldiers. Finally Britain had had enough; it turned the problem over to the U.N.


    Following World War II, the Jewish desire for an independent state in Palestine heightened. This aspiration was fueled further by the atrocities of the Holocaust, which left the Jewish diaspora in dire need of a safe homeland. The mass migration of Holocaust survivors to Palestine, facilitated by Jewish agencies, was a strategic move to strengthen the Jewish population and assert their claim to the land. This influx, however, intensified the existing tension between Jews and Palestinians, and amplified conflict with the British Mandate authorities.

    The Jewish resistance in Palestine adopted both political and militant strategies to expedite their goal of independence. The Haganah, a Jewish paramilitary organization, launched calculated attacks against British military targets, aiming to disrupt the British administration and make the Mandate unmanageable for them. Radical factions like the Irgun and the Lehi also participated in the conflict, their actions often involving violence against British soldiers and civilians. These actions escalated tensions to a point where Britain felt compelled to relinquish its control over the region.

    Frustrated and exhausted from the ongoing conflict, Britain referred the Palestine question to the United Nations in 1947. The UN established a Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) to examine the issue and recommend a solution. After thorough investigation and deliberation, UNSCOP proposed the partitioning of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem under international administration.