Crisis Phase (November 2, 1917-April 19, 1936): Jewish nationalists began a struggle for a Jewish state in Palestine following the issuance by the British government of the Balfour Declaration on November 2, 1917. In the document, the British government declared its support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. On March 1, 1920, Shi’ite Muslim (Arab) militiamen from southern Lebanon attacked the village of Tel Hai on March 1, 1920, resulting in the deaths of six Jews and five Arabs. Representatives of seven Allied countries (Belgium, Britain, France, Greece, Italy, Japan), which were meeting in San Remo, Italy beginning on April 19, 1920, decided to provisionally grant Great Britain the mandate over Palestine. Palestinian Arabs, who were opposed to the principles contained in the Balfour Declaration, opposed the efforts of the British government beginning in April 1920. Nine individuals, including five Jews and four Arabs, were killed in political violence in Jerusalem on April 4-7, 1920. The Jewish Self-Defense Organization (Haganah) was established by Vladimir Jabotinsky on June 15, 1920. Sir Herbert Samuel was appointed as the High Commissioner for British Palestine beginning on June 20, 1920. Some 47 Jews and 48 Arabs were killed in political violence in Jaffa, Jerusalem, and other cities on May 1-7, 1921. Sir Herbert Samuel declared a state of emergency in Jaffa. The League of Nations (LON) formally adopted a British mandate for Palestine in July 1922, which incorporated the principles of the Balfour Declaration in the mandate. Arab nationalists opposed the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. Some 75,000 Jews emigrated to Palestine between 1922 and 1926. Field Marshal Herbert Charles Plumer was appointed High Commission for British Palestine beginning on August 25, 1925. Sir John Robert Chancellor was appointed High Commissioner for British Palestine on December 6, 1928. Arabs and Jews clashed in Jerusalem and other cities from August 16 to September 2, 1929, resulting in the deaths of 133 Jews and 116 Arabs. The British government established a commission of inquiry, which investigated the situation in Palestine from October 24 to December 29, 1929. Jewish militants led by Avraham Tehomi established the National Military Organization (Irgun Zvai Le’umi – “Irgun”) in April 1931. Some 60,000 Jews emigrated to Palestine in 1935. Palestinian Arabs demanded that the British government halt Jewish emigration to Palestine, but the British government ignored the demand.
Conflict Phase (April 20, 1936-September 1, 1939): Palestinian Arabs led by Fawzi El Kaukji, a former Turkish military officer, rebelled against the British government beginning on April 20, 1936. The British government appointed a royal commission headed by Lord Peel in October 1936. On July 7, 1937, the Peel Commission recommended the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. Arab rebels killed Lewis Andrews, British commissioner of the Galilee district, on September 26, 1937. Palestinian Arabs killed five Palestinian Jews near Jerusalem on November 9, 1937, and members of the Irgun retaliated by killing several Palestinian Arabs on November 14, 1937. Palestinian Arabs killed four Palestinian Jews near Safed on March 28, 1938. The British government executed Shlomo Ben-Yosef, a Jewish nationalist, on June 29, 1938. Some 21 Palestinian Arabs were killed in a Jewish militant bombing in Haifa on July 6, 1938. The British government published the White Paper on May 17, 1939, which provided for an Arab-majority Palestinian state within ten years. David Raziel, commander of the Irgun, was arrested by British government police on May 19, 1939. Palestinian Arabs ended their rebellion against the British government on September 1, 1939. More than 5,500 individuals, including some 5,000 Arabs, 415 Jews, and 126 British government soldiers, were killed during the conflict between April 1936 and September 1939.
Post-Conflict Phase (September 2, 1939-January 31, 1944): The Irgun split into two factions headed by David Raziel and Avraham Stern on July 17, 1940. Avraham Stern’s faction became known as the Fighters for the Freedom of Israel (Lohamei Herut Yisrael – Lehi). David Raziel was killed during a joint British-Irgun mission against the Germans in Iraq on May 18, 1941, and Avraham Stern was killed by British government police in February 1942. Menachen Begin was appointed as commander of the Irgun in December 1943.
Conflict Phase (February 1, 1944-May 14, 1948): Members of the Irgun launched a rebellion against the British government beginning on February 1, 1944. Jewish militants attacked several British immigration offices in Jerusalem and other cities on February 12, 1944. The Irgun, Haganah, and Lehi (“Stern Gang”) organizations established the United Resistance Movement (Tenuat Hameri) against the British government in October 1945. Jewish militants attacked and destroyed railway tracks throughout the country on October 31-November 1, 1945, resulting in the deaths of one British policeman, one British soldier, and two civilians. On November 13, 1945, the U.S. and British governments announced the establishment of a committee of inquiry to investigate the problems of European Jews and Palestine. Jewish militants attacked a British police station in Jerusalem on November 27, 1945, resulting in the deaths of eight British government policemen and one Jewish militant. Jewish militants attacked British government facilities in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Jaffa on December 27, 1945, resulting in the deaths of ten British government personnel. Jewish militants killed seven British government soldiers near Tel Aviv on April 25, 1946. On July 25, 1946, the Anglo-American committee of inquiry proposed the partition of Palestine into Arab, Jewish, and British-controlled sectors. Jewish militants bombed the King David Hotel in Jerusalem on July 22, 1946, resulting in the deaths of 41 Palestinian Arabs, 28 British, 17 Palestinian Jews, and five other individuals. The United Resistance Movement (Tenuat Hameri) was dissolved on August 23, 1946. Jewish militants bombed the British Officers’ Club in Jerusalem on March 1, 1947, resulting in the deaths of four British soldiers and nine civilians. The British high commissioner declared martial law in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, and some 20,000 British troops launched a military offensive against Jewish militants on March 2, 1947. The British government lifted martial law in Jerusalem on March 17, 1947. The United Nations Security Council established the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) on May 13, 1947. Jewish militants executed two British soldiers near Nathanya on July 29, 1947. On August 31, 1947, UNSCOP proposed that Palestine be partitioned into Jewish and Arab states. Jewish militants bombed the police headquarters in Haifa on September 29, 1947, resulting in the deaths of four British policemen, four Arab policemen, and two Arab civilians. The UN General Assembly approved the partition proposal on November 29, 1947. Arabs militants killed seven Jews near Jerusalem on November 30, 1947. Some 20 Arabs, five Jews, and two British soldiers were killed in political violence in Jaffa and Ramleh on December 12, 1947. Jewish militants attacked the village of al-Khisas on December 18, 1947, resulting in the deaths of at least ten Arabs. Irgun militants killed 11 Arabs and two British policemen in Jerusalem on December 29, 1947. Jewish militants attacked the village of Balad al-Shaykh on December 31, 1947 and January 1, 1948, resulting in the deaths of at least 60 Arabs. Lehi militants mined a train near Rehovot on February 29, 1948, resulting in the deaths of 28 British soldiers. Arab militants bombed the headquarters of the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem on March 11, 1948, resulting in the deaths of 13 individuals. Lehi militants mined a train near the town of Binyamina on March 31, 1948, resulting in the deaths of 40 Arabs. The UN Security Council appealed for a ceasefire in British Palestine on April 1 and April 18, 1948. Irgun and Lehi militants attacked the village of Deir Yassim near Jerusalem on April 9, 1948, resulting in the deaths of more than 100 Arabs and five Jewish militants. Arab militants attacked a medical convoy escorted by members of a Jewish militia in East Jerusalem on April 13, 1948, resulting in the deaths of 78 Jewish civilians and soldiers, as well as one British soldier. Jewish militants clashed with British troops and Arabs in the Jaffa region from April 25 to May 12, 1948, resulting in the deaths of 32 Jewish militants. On May 1, 1948, Jewish militants attacked the village of Ein al-Zeitun, resulting in the deaths of at least 70 Arabs. British troops withdrew from Jaffa, and Jewish militants captured Jaffa on May 13, 1948. That same day, Arab militants killed 127 members of a Jewish militia in the Kfar Etzion settlement in the West Bank. Jewish militants killed more than 60 Arabs in the village of Abu Shusha on May 13-14, 1948. David Ben-Gurion, the chairman of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, formally declared the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. The British Mandate under the League of Nations (LON) was terminated on May 14, 1948. More than 400,000 Arabs were displaced from more than 200 villages in British Palestine between December 1947 and May 14, 1948.
[Sources: Bercovitch and Jackson, 1997, 57-58; Butterworth, 1976, 66-68; Clodfelter, 1992, 631-632, 1032-1036; Donelan and Grieve, 1973, 45-50; Facts on File, September 28-October 4, 1947; Lapping, 1985, 104-148; Survey of International Affairs (SIA), 1929, 512; Tillema, 1991, 157-159.]