Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes the economic, political, cultural and religious history of Palestine, as well as its place in the international arena during these three turbulent decades. The territory of Palestine, to which Balfour's declaration referred, was a geographic area that includes both present-day Israel and Jordan. James Renton argues that the widely-held assumption that the Balfour Declaration was a profession of genuine support for the aims of political Zionism is incorrect. Susan Pedersen examines how the attitude of the League of Nations, especially those members of the Palestine Mandates Commission (PMC), influenced British policy in Palestine towards both the Yishuv and the Arab community. Motti Golani provides an illuminating and touching portrait of how the last Palestine High Commissioner, General Sir Alan Cunningham, managed the winding down of the Mandate and the British withdrawal from Palestine between November 1945 and May 1948.