British Mandate

The British had military control of Palestine by 1917. In April 1920 the Allied powers met to determine borders of the conquered Ottoman territory. They created the states of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and eventually Transjordan, while confirming their commitment to a Jewish homeland in (western) Palestine. In 1922, the League of Nations validated a Mandate system for governing territories that had not been independent for centuries. A High Commissioner was installed to govern Palestine. As Arab nationalism increased, (and with it agitation and violence) the British decided that it was in the interest of the Empire to favor them, and restrictions on Jewish immigration and land ownership were adopted. Jews came to wonder who was the bigger threat to their aspirations - the Arabs or the British. Militant Jewish groups formed that were convinced only force would make the British reconsider their policies. Many of those Jews were aprehended and interned in camps around the British empire, as were 'illegal immigrants' who arrived without authorization. Once Hitler began his anti-semitic policies, British attitudes were seen as outrageous and even life-threatening. At the same time, Palestinian Jews recognized that Hitler was the greatest threat of all, and thousands rushed to join British forces and contribute to the war effort. The training they got would serve them well when conflict broke out in 1948.