The Peel Commission
The Arab Revolt of 1936, during the British Mandate over Palestine, led to perhaps one of the most important events leading up to the establishment of the independent state of Israel. As a reaction to the increasing immigration of Jews the Arab Higher Committee declared a strike, demanding the immediate end of Jewish immigration, the cessation of land sales to Jewish settlers and the establishment of an independent Arab government. The majority of the strike took form in violent attacks against Jews; with responsibility for maintaining peace, the British government had to take action. In August of 1936 they appointed a Royal Commission, chaired by Earl Peel, with the task of ascertaining the causes of the revolt and to make recommendations to end the hostilities and prevent future insurgencies. The Peel Commission was also given the duty to "... inquire more widely into the implementation of the Mandate", the obligations of the Mandate to both the Jews and Arabs, and the grievances between the two (Shlaim 54). British officials in Palestine were the first to offer testimony to the Royal Commission. Most sought a sympathetic understanding of the difficulties from the commission by conveying the difficulties they faced under the p
While many Zionists were willing to accept the partition, including Chaim Weizmann, the Congress eventually voted to adopt Ben- Gurion's motion. "[Although] the Commission's proposals were not acted upon, the principal of partition guided all subsequent exercises in peacemaking right down to the U. Partition Resolution of November 1947" (Shalim 57). ressure from both the Jewish populations, numbering approximately four hundred-thousand, and the Arab majority which neared a population of one million. Chaim Weizmann, one of the most prominent Zionist advocates of the time said, "The Jews would be fools not to accept it, even if it were the size of a table-cloth. Rumors reached the Zionists, though no official statement had been given; the Royal Commission felt that the only possibility would be that the partition of Palestine would be the only possible end of hostilities. Moshe Sharett, another Zionist, warned that it would be a ". The Twelfth Zionist Congress met in Zurich during August of 1937 to discuss whether or not they should accept the recommendations of the Peel Commission. Because the goals of both Arabs and Jews were contradictory of one another, the commission recommended that the only possible solution would be the partition of Palestine. In July of 1937 the Peel Commission released its final report, declaring that the Mandate, in that present situation, was unworkable. The British would retain Jerusalem and Haifa, and the strip of land in between. With both sides opposing the recommendations, the findings of the Peel Commission would be impossible to impose.
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Acceptance Essays
