After World War II, the world saw the formation of the United Nations (UN), aiming to ensure peace and resolve global conflicts. One such conflict was the "Palestine problem."

• Feb 1947: British government asks the UN for advice regarding Palestine.

• Aug 1947: UNSCOP report is completed.

• Nov 1947: UN General Assembly votes to accept the report's recommendations.

• UNSCOP: The UN Special Committee on Palestine. Its mission? Investigate and suggest solutions to the Palestine problem.

• Recommendation: Split Palestine into two - a Jewish state and an Arab state.

  • Basis for Division: Population and land ownership.

    • More Jewish → Jewish state

    • Mainly Arab → Arab state

  • The resulting partition made Palestine look like a puzzle, with intertwined territories. This was because the UN believed it would encourage co-operation.

• Jerusalem: A special case. The holy city was to be an international zone, governed by international forces.

  • Reactions

    • The Jewish Agency in Palestine:

      • Mainly pleased because they gained international support for a Jewish state.

      • Concerns: Jerusalem wasn't part of the Jewish state. Some Jewish settlements would be in the Arab state.