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| 1939, Feb.–March |
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| The Palestine Conference in London. Jewish and Palestinian Arab representatives refused to compromise. Delegates from outside Arab states were more flexible, but were unable to sway the Palestinians. The conference ended inconclusively. | 1 |
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| May |
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| Publication of the WHITE PAPER, which effectively repudiated the Balfour Declaration. It promised independence for Palestine after ten years. The British envisioned the creation of a binational state in which power would be shared between Arabs and Jews. In the meantime, Jewish immigration was to be restricted to 15,000 per year over the next five years and subject to Arab control thereafter. The administration was also charged with maintaining close supervision over all sales of land. Due mainly to the outbreak of war in 1939, the British never fully implemented this program. | 2 |
| The Zionists rejected the White Paper and ultimately came to the realization that they could no longer depend upon the British to uphold their aims for a Jewish homeland. They turned increasingly to the U.S. for protection and patronage. On the other side, the Palestinians—with few exceptions—greeted the new British policy with similar hostility and apprehension. Most guerrilla bands vowed to fight on. | 3 |
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