British Mandate for Palestine

British Mandate for Palestine המנדט הבריטי על ארץ ישראל
Mandate of the United Kingdom
1920–1948
Capital	Jerusalem
Area
• 1945	26,851 km2 (10,367 sq mi)
Population
• 1945	1,880,000
Historical era	Interwar period
• Established	25 April 1920
• Disestablished	14 May 1948
Preceded by Succeeded by Ottoman Empire Israel All-Palestine Government Jordan

The British Mandate for Palestine was a League of Nations mandate for territory formerly administered by the Ottoman Empire, which the British Empire governed from 1920 until 1948. The mandate was established following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I and was confirmed by the San Remo conference held in 1920. The mandate facilitated the implementation of the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which supported the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine.

History

The history of the British Mandate for Palestine begins with the end of World War I and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. The League of Nations approved the mandate in 1922, and it officially came into effect on 29 September 1923. The mandate ended on 14 May 1948, with the declaration of the independence of the State of Israel, which was followed by the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Early Years

During the early years of the mandate, the British faced significant challenges in managing the conflicting nationalist aspirations of the Arab and Jewish communities. The period was marked by a series of riots and rebellions, including the Jaffa riots of 1921 and the later Arab revolts of 1936-1939.

World War II and Aftermath

World War II had a profound impact on the region, with Palestine serving as a strategic location for Allied forces. Post-war, the tensions between Jews and Arabs intensified, with the Jewish community pushing for increased immigration and independence, while the Arab community opposed these moves.

End of the Mandate

The British government referred the issue of Palestine to the United Nations in 1947, which resulted in the UN Partition Plan, proposing to divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. The plan was accepted by the Jewish leadership but rejected by the Arab leadership. The British Mandate officially ended at midnight on 14 May 1948, immediately followed by the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel.

Geography

The territory included within the British Mandate for Palestine covered approximately 26,990 square kilometers, including modern-day Israel and the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Demographics

The population of the mandate grew significantly during the British administration, from about 700,000 in 1922 to an estimated 1,900,000 by 1945. This growth was due in part to Jewish immigration, which was a central issue of the mandate period.

Legacy

The British Mandate for Palestine set the stage for the complex and ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The mandate period saw significant developments in the infrastructure and economic landscape of the region, but also deepened divisions between its Arab and Jewish communities.