away the Passfield condemnation, hardly appeasing the Zionists, but angering the Arabs. As Arab animosity increased, the Arab Higher Committee in Palestine called for a general strike, paralyzing the country for several months. The British sent another commission of inquiry, headed by Lord Peel, which recommended partition, giving a small area of northern and central Palestine to the Jews, while leaving the most to Arabs. But the Palestine Arabs opposed the partition, fearing its acceptance would be a step toward their loss of Palestine. Britain scaled down the offer and eventually retracted it. Seeking a peace plan that would satisfy all parties, Britain called a conference of Jewish and Arab leaders in 1939; but no agreement was reached. Then, Britain issued the White Paper, announcing that the mandate would end in ten years, providing Palestine with full independence. Jewish immigration would be limited until 1944, after which it could continue only with Arab consent. The White Paper seemed to sell out Britains commitment to help build the Jewish national home. The Arabs also rejected the White Paper, stating it postponed their independence and did not stop Jewish immigration. As World War II came to a close, Zionist terrorist groups, such as the Irgun Tzvei Leumi and the Stern Gang, blew up buildings and British installations in Palestine. The British went before the UN General Assembly in 1947, admitting that it could no longer maintain the mandate. The UN created the Special Committee on Palestine, who recommended partitioning Palestine [again!] into seven sections: three for Arabs, three for Jews and one for both. Neither the Palestinians nor the Arab countries welcomed the plan. The Zionists did not like the plan completely, but accepted it as a step toward forming the Jewish State. But Jewish paramilitary groups soon seized lands not allotted to them, while Arab commandos retaliated against Jewish targets. Both sides committed ...
