1939 White Paper on Palestine

E239499

The 1939 White Paper on Palestine was a British policy document that sharply limited Jewish immigration and land purchases while promising eventual independence for a unified Arab-Jewish state, marking a major shift away from earlier pro-Zionist commitments.

All labels observed (7)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf British government policy document
White Paper
policy statement on Mandatory Palestine
alsoKnownAs MacDonald White Paper
appliesTo Mandatory Palestine
context 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine
surface form: Arab revolt in Palestine (1936–1939)

approach of World War II
country United Kingdom
dateIssued 1939-05-17
documentType Command Paper
durationOfPolicy remained formal British policy until end of Mandate in 1948
effectOnConflict deepened Jewish-Arab political polarization
effectOnZionism intensified Jewish underground immigration (Aliyah Bet)
limited legal avenues for Jewish immigration during the Holocaust period
followedBy Bevin Plan
identifier Cmd
surface form: Cmd. 6019
immigrationPolicy limit Jewish immigration to 75,000 over five years
subject further Jewish immigration after five years to Arab consent
issuedBy UK government
surface form: British government

Colonial Office
landPolicy divide Palestine into zones with varying restrictions on Jewish land acquisition
restrict Jewish land purchases in Palestine
language English
legalEffect guided British administrative practice in Palestine during World War II
legalStatus statement of British policy in Palestine
motivation end the Arab revolt in Palestine
secure Arab support for Britain in the looming war
namedAfter Malcolm MacDonald
placeOfPublication London, England
surface form: London
policyShiftFrom Balfour Declaration
pro-Zionist commitments of the British Mandate
politicalProvision affirmed that Palestine should not be an Arab state alone
proposed legislative council with Arab majority
rejected idea of Palestine becoming a Jewish state
precededBy Passfield White Paper
publisher His Majesty's Stationery Office
reaction condemned by some British politicians as betrayal of Balfour Declaration
criticized by many British Zionist supporters
rejected by the Jewish Agency for Palestine
strongly opposed by Zionist movement
viewed by many Arabs as insufficient but partial victory
recognizedCommunity Arab population of Palestine
Jewish population of Palestine
rejectedProposalOf territorial partition of Palestine as recommended by Peel Commission
relatedTo British Mandate for Palestine
surface form: League of Nations Mandate for Palestine

Peel Commission partition proposal
surface form: Peel Commission report
statedGoal create a bi-national Arab-Jewish state under British tutelage
establish an independent Palestine state within 10 years
reconcile Arab and Jewish interests in Palestine

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (10)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine relatedTo 1939 White Paper on Palestine
New Zionist Organization opposed 1939 White Paper on Palestine
this entity surface form: British White Paper policies in Palestine
Revisionist Party opposedPolicy 1939 White Paper on Palestine
this entity surface form: British White Paper restrictions on Jewish immigration
Lehi opposedTo 1939 White Paper on Palestine
this entity surface form: British White Paper of 1939
Irgun opposed 1939 White Paper on Palestine
this entity surface form: 1939 White Paper
Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine hasCause 1939 White Paper on Palestine
this entity surface form: British White Paper of 1939
Malcolm MacDonald notableWork 1939 White Paper on Palestine
this entity surface form: MacDonald White Paper on Palestine (1939)
Aliyah Bet organizedInDefianceOf 1939 White Paper on Palestine
this entity surface form: British White Paper of 1939
British authorities in Mandatory Palestine involvedInEvent 1939 White Paper on Palestine
Lohamei Herut Israel opposed 1939 White Paper on Palestine
this entity surface form: White Paper of 1939