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 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. 6019
linked to: Cmd
immigrationPolicy limit Jewish immigration to 75,000 over five years
subject further Jewish immigration after five years to Arab consent
issuedBy British government
linked to: UK 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
linked to: London, England
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 League of Nations Mandate for Palestine
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 British White Paper policies in Palestine
linked to: 1939 White Paper on Palestine
Revisionist Party opposedPolicy British White Paper restrictions on Jewish immigration
linked to: 1939 White Paper on Palestine
Lehi opposedTo British White Paper of 1939
linked to: 1939 White Paper on Palestine
Irgun opposed 1939 White Paper
linked to: 1939 White Paper on Palestine
Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine hasCause British White Paper of 1939
linked to: 1939 White Paper on Palestine
Malcolm MacDonald notableWork MacDonald White Paper on Palestine (1939)
linked to: 1939 White Paper on Palestine
Aliyah Bet organizedInDefianceOf British White Paper of 1939
linked to: 1939 White Paper on Palestine
British authorities in Mandatory Palestine involvedInEvent 1939 White Paper on Palestine
Lohamei Herut Israel opposed White Paper of 1939
linked to: 1939 White Paper on Palestine