The 19451952 British Government's Opposition to Zionism and the Emergent State of Israel by Nick Reynold;

Author:Nick Reynold;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing
Published: 2021-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

The Road Leading to the UN Partition Proposal of November 1947

When the London Conference adjourned in October, it was agreed that there would be a resumption on December 9th. However, as a Zionist Congress was due to take place at that time in Basel, it was decided to move the resumption to the end of January 1947. There was a thought that something would emerge from the Congress which would have some influence on the discussions, and it was also hoped that Congress would authorise a Jewish Agency delegation to attend the Conference. However, even though the authorisation was not given and an official Agency delegation would not take part in the Conference, individuals or groups were free to carry on parallel discussions with the British Government separately.

When the Labour Government came into office in the summer of 1945 it had little interest in, or sympathy for, Zionism. It considered that Haganah propaganda had led to the desire of DPs to get to Palestine and in reality they would have been much happier staying in Europe. It also condemned Truman’s interference in British domestic affairs, as it was clearly the result of heavy political pressure put on him by his Democrat Party and militant American Zionists.

After the traumatic summer of 1946, as a result of the Jewish Agency’s decision to confront the terrorist groups directly, Bevin’s attitude mellowed somewhat. He thought that the London Conference planned for September might well succeed if he could have got the Zionists to attend. Later, for the first ever time, he invited an Agency delegation to come to London to discuss law and order with the Government. He also authorised the new Colonial Secretary to make certain important concessions which he hoped would lead to the Jews agreeing to attend the second round of the Conference. There seemed to be a change in the British Government attitude towards the Zionist leadership.

In general, however, there was a feeling in British political circles that the Government had run out of options as to how to deal with Palestine, and was at the end of its tether. Thus the Conference, due to begin at the end of January, might be the last chance to come up with a solution acceptable to the three parties.

On December 31st Bevin and the new Colonial Secretary, Creech-Jones, met. They were both disappointed that nothing positive had come out of the Zionist Congress and could not see how the Conference could succeed without the Zionists. They discussed canceling the Conference but decided that it would anger the Arab states needlessly. It seemed to both of them that the only real possibility was to refer the running of Palestine to the UN without offering any recommendation as to how it might carry it out. ‘In reaching this conclusion both Ministers had undoubtedly arrived at what their respective departments felt was a ‘counsel of despair’.1

In the period leading up to the re-opening of the Conference there was a great deal of discussion in Whitehall.

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