ABSTRACT
Palestine, the back-up military base for British headquarters in Egypt, was an important target for the Axis forces and was bombed by both the Germans and the Italians, resulting in hundreds of casualties in Haifa and Tel Aviv. The war was manageable for Arabs and Jews who were employed by the British and for the entrepreneurs who provided rest and recreation for the tens of thousands of British troops stationed in or moving through Palestine, but the average person suffered with food rationing and shortages. As the situation deteriorated for Jews in Europe, the Jewish leadership in Palestine made the difficult decision to fight the British anti-immigration policy and, at the same time, to work with the British military and intelligence services against the Nazis. Repeated requests from the Jewish Agency leadership were unsuccessful in reversing British policy against the formation of a Jewish fighting force. When Palestine was under threat from Rommel in North Africa, the Vichy French in Syria, and a target for a potential Mufti-inspired resurgence of the Arab Revolt, therefore, Jews had to plan and prepare for the worst, but at the same time were helpless to save relatives in Europe.
