Early Israeli Immigrants

Under terms agreed to at the San Remo Conference, the British government was given the mandate for Palestine. The conditions of the Mandate were to be based on the terms set forth in the Balfour Declaration, with the exception that the Declaration would not apply to the area of Transjordan.

The roots of the British Mandate over Palestine can be traced back to World War I. The Ottoman Empire, which had controlled Palestine for centuries, had entered the war on the side of the Central Powers. The British and their allies saw an opportunity to weaken the Ottoman Empire and secure a strategic advantage in the Middle East.

The British had several reasons for wanting control over Palestine. Strategically, it was located at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, and it offered access to important trade routes and resources. Politically, control over Palestine would allow the British to influence the balance of power in the region.

In addition, the British government had issued the Balfour Declaration in 1917, expressing support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. This policy was driven by a combination of factors, including sympathy for the Zionist cause among some British politicians, a desire to secure Jewish support during the war, and a belief that Jewish settlement would help to develop and stabilize the region.

At the end of World War I, the League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations, was established to promote international cooperation and peace. One of its functions was to administer mandates over former Ottoman and German territories. The principle behind the mandate system was that these territories were not yet ready for self-government and needed the guidance of a more developed power.

In 1920, at the San Remo conference, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate over Palestine. This decision was influenced by Britain's military and political successes in the region during the war, as well as its stated commitment to the Balfour Declaration and the establishment of a Jewish national home.

The terms of the mandate required Britain to secure the establishment of the Jewish national home, while also protecting the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine. This was a difficult balancing act, and the British often found themselves caught between the conflicting aspirations of the Jewish and Arab populations.

The British Mandate over Palestine lasted until 1948, when the state of Israel was established. During this period, the British faced numerous challenges, including managing Jewish immigration, dealing with Arab opposition and unrest, and navigating the complex politics of the Middle East.