ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

White Paper of 1939

The White Paper of 1939 was a policy paper issued by the British government, led by Neville Chamberlain, in response to the Arab revolt in Palestine that began in 1936 and continued until 1939. This document marked a significant turning point in the history of the Middle East, as it outlined Britain's vision for the future of Palestine.

The White Paper was drafted unilaterally by the British Government following the failure of earlier attempts at cooperation with Arab representatives. It called for the establishment of a Jewish national home within an independent Palestinian state, but rejected the idea of partitioning Palestine proposed by the Peel Commission in 1937. Instead, it limited Jewish immigration to five years and stipulated that any further immigration would be determined by the Arab majority.

The proposal was met with widespread rejection from both Arab and Zionist groups. The moderate National Defence Party, led by Mohammed Amin al-Husseini, was willing to accept certain aspects of the White Paper, while more radical elements rejected it outright. In response, a general Jewish strike was launched on May 18, 1939.

Despite this initial rejection, the British government remained committed to its policy. It implemented land transfer regulations and immigration limitation clauses, but by the end of five years in 1944, only half of the planned Jewish immigrants had arrived. To address this shortfall, the British proposed continuing immigration beyond the original deadline at a monthly rate until the remaining quota was reached.

In practice, this meant that from May 1939 to July 1943, an additional 1,500 Jews were allowed to immigrate each month. This policy continued after the end of the mandate in 1948, with Jewish immigrants receiving quotas for every month thereafter.

The White Paper of 1939 was a pivotal moment in the history of Palestine and the Middle East. It reflected Britain's desire to balance its commitment to Zionism with its responsibility as a mandatory power over the Arab population. While it ultimately failed to achieve its goals, it laid the groundwork for future negotiations and conflicts that would shape the region for decades to come.

Background and Context

The White Paper of 1939 was part of a broader effort by Britain to manage the complex web of interests in Palestine during the interwar period. The British government had taken control of Palestine from the Ottoman Empire after World War I, and had promised to create a Jewish national home within the territory.

However, this promise was met