“Jewish immigration to Palestine was the main cause of Arab-Jewish tensions up to 1939.” Discuss.

Candidates will offer a considered and balanced review of immigration as a cause of Arab-Jewish tensions up to 1939. Causes may predate the timeframe, but they must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may refer to increased Jewish immigration after 1919, causing the Arabs to fear the creation of a Jewish state and the denial of Arab sovereignty. British failure to accept the limits on immigration proposed in the 1930 White Paper led to riots and the Arab rebellion between 1936 and 1938. Other relevant factors may be addressed, for example increasing Jewish economic power through land purchases and industrial development, and the creation of Jewish armed forces, which threatened Arab power. British policies, beginning with the Balfour Declaration, were contradictory, which raised suspicions on both sides. Growing Arab nationalism in the Middle East also contributed to the disputes in Palestine. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

Question 26 which dealt with Jewish immigration to Palestine, produced some reasonable attempts but again it was clear that candidates had not prepared adequately and so failed to address many key areas with respect to this topic.