THE PARTITION OF PALESTINE
AND
THE CREATION OF ISRAEL
An 11 member special
committee on Palestine
(UNSCOP) was formed at the first special session of the assembly in April 1947.
The majority of the committee members recommended that Palestine
be partitioned into an Arab state and a Jewish state, with a special
international status for the city of Jerusalem
under the administrative authority of the United Nations.
THE PARTITION PLAN, 1947
At its second regular
session, after an intense two month long debate, the general assembly, on 29th
November 1947 adopted resolution 181 (II), approving with minor changes the
plan of partition with economic union as proposed by the majority in the
special committee on Palestine. The partition plan, a detailed four part document
attached to the resolution, provided for
v
the
termination of the mandates
v
the
progressive withdrawal of British armed forces and
v
the
delineation of boundaries between the two states and Jerusalem
THE PLAN INCLUDED
v
The
creation of Arab and Jewish state not later than 1st October 1948
v
Division
of the Palestine
into eight parts,
ü
Three
were allotted to the Arab state
ü
Three to
the Jewish state
ü
The
seventh, the town of Jaffa,
was to form an Arab enclave within Jewish territory.
v
The
international regime for Jerusalem,
the eight divisions to be administered by the United Nations Trusteeship
council.
The plan also set out
the steps to be taken prior to independence. It dealt with the question of
v
citizenship,
v
transit,
v
the
economic union
v
A
declaration to be made by the provisional government of each proposed state
regarding access to holly places and religious and minority rights.
By resolution 181
(II), the assembly also set up the United Nations Palestine Commission to carry
out its recommendations and requested the security council to take the
necessary measures to implement the plan of partition.
The Jewish Agency
accepted the resolution despite its dissatisfaction over such matters as
v
Jewish
emigration from Europe
v
the territorial
limits set on the proposed Jewish state
PALESTINE REACTIONS
TO THE PLAN
The plans was not
accepted by the Palestinian Arabs and Arab states on the grounds that,
v
It
violated the provisions of the United Nations charter, which granted people the
rights to decide their own destiny. They said that the assembly had endorsed
the plan under circumstances unworthy of the United Nations and that the Arabs
of Palestine would oppose any scheme that provided for the dissection,
segregation or partition of their country or which gave special and
preferential rights and status to a minority.
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