It was governed in local affairs by a National Council elected under the supervision of the mandate. However. during the thirties British policy in Palestine underwent a metamorphosis. The White Paper of 1937 issued by the British Government set forth a new policy of restriction on Jewish immigration. opposition to new settlements. and prevention of new purchases of land. The reasons for the British reversal are too complex to go into here. but they were not sufficient to persuade the Zionists to accept the new policy. A series of protests culminated in 1941 with the meeting of the Zionist Conference in New York City. There a renewed demand was made for an independent Jewish State. The demands for independence were shelved temporarily during the war years. but the World Zionist Movement renewed pressures for independence at the end of World War II. Again the British Government proved recalcitrant and continued to pursue its rigid policy of restriction on immigration. The United States took the lead in proposing a new solution to the problems of Palestine. President Harry S Truman called for immediate admission of Jewish refugees in 1945 and instructed the U.S. delegation at the United Nations to press for a resolution to partition Palestine and set up a Jewish State. We all know what followed the historic resolution to partition Palestine. The State of Israel was able to maintain its independence against the Arab onslaught only by quick and forceful military maneuvers. Although the United Nations lived up to its obligations to preserve the integrity of the new state and arranged a cease fire. Israel today lives in an uneasy state of military tension. Border incidents are common. and the difficult problem of Arab refugees is still unresolved. Despite a hostile military environment. Israel has made remarkable social and economic progress in the 14 years of her independence.
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immigration refugees