Macdonald White Paper

The MacDonald White Paper (1939)

Issued by: The British government, Colonial Secretary Malcolm MacDonald (hence the name).

• Date: May 1939.

Context: After the 1936–1939 Arab Revolt in Palestine, Britain wanted to calm tensions between Arabs and Jews under the British Mandate.

Purpose: To cset out Britain’s official policy on the future of Palestine.

Key Provisions

1. Immigration Restrictions

Jewish immigration capped at 75,000 over the next 5 years (1939–1944).

After that, any further immigration required Arab consent.

This was a sharp break from the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which supported a Jewish “national home.”

2. Land Transfers

Jewish land purchases were heavily restricted in certain areas of Palestine to protect Arab farmers.

3. Political Future

Britain envisioned an independent Palestinian state within 10 years, governed jointly by Arabs and Jews.

Jews would have a “national home” within that state, but no separate Jewish state.

Reactions

Jewish Response:

Fiercely opposed by Zionist leaders.

Seen as a “betrayal” of Britain’s Balfour Declaration promise.

David Ben-Gurion and the Jewish Agency argued it endangered Jewish survival just as Nazi persecution was intensifying.

• Arab Response:

Mixed — some Arabs welcomed the immigration cap, but many distrusted Britain and wanted an immediate stop to Jewish immigration.

• International Context:

• Issued just months before World War II.

• In practice, Jewish immigration restrictions during the Holocaust made it almost impossible for many Jews to find refuge in Palestine.

Historical Significance

Marked the last major British statement of policy on Palestine before WWII.

Deepened Jewish distrust of Britain, leading some Zionist groups to turn against British rule after the war.

Influenced the eventual 1947 UN Partition Plan and the establishment of Israel in 1948.