1939 - 1947 From the London Conference to the UN Partition Recommendation

Jerusalem street scene outside Jaffa Gate, early 1940s. "Before Their Diaspora"

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.

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