UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON PALESTINE

United Nations Special Committee on Palestine: translation

(UNSCOP)

Unable to satisfy the conflicting views of theAraband Jewish communities ofPalestineand to ensure public safety because of the conflicts between them and faced with the heavy burden entailed in retaining the Palestine mandate (British mandate), which compounded the extensive costs of World War II,Great Britainconceded that the mandate was unworkable and turned the Palestine problem over to theUnited Nations(UN) in the spring of 1947. The UNSCOP examined the issues and recommended that the mandate be terminated and that the independence of Palestine be achieved without delay. However, the committee was divided on the future of the territory. The majority proposed partition into a Jewish state and an Arab state linked in aneconomicunion, withJerusalemand its environs established as an international enclave. The minority suggested that Palestine become a single federal state, with Jerusalem as its capital and with Jews and Arabs enjoying autonomy in their respective areas. The majority proposal was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 29 November 1947.

See alsoPalestine Partition Plan.