U.N. Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) (May 1947)

Orthoxox Jewish youth United Nations Special Committee on Palestine
Figure 1.-- The United Nations General Assembly in response created a Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) (May 15, 1947). Thy took testimony from Jewish grops, but the Arabs refuse to participate. Here a Jewish youth is pictured at the USSCOP hearings. The caption of this press photograph read, "Orthodox Jews listen intently as they attend a United Nations Special Committee on Palestine hearing in Jerusalem, July 16, 1947. Seldom photographed because of their religion the Jew's’ appearance is marked by the long curls extending down their cheek in accordance with their religious beliefs."

The British were finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the rising violence in Mandate Palestine. They asked for the United Nations General Assembly to "make recommendations under article 10 of the Charter, concerning the future government of Palestine". Essentially asking the United Nations to map a way out for their departure. The United Nations General Assembly in response created a Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) (May 15, 1947). (UN GA] The British recommended the establishment of a special committee to collect information and prepare a report for the General Assembly. The General Assembly accepted the British recommendation to set up the UNSCOP to investigate the cause of the rising violence and hopefully craft a solution. UNSCOP was composed of representatives of 11 U.N. members. UNSCOP set up offices in Palestine to gathered information. They took testimony from Zionist organisations in Palestine and in the United States. The Arab Higher Committee in Palestine boycotted the Commission and refused to testify or present evidence. Thir position was that the Palestinian Arabs' natural rights were self-evident and should not be subjected to ant further investigation Rather they should be recognized on the basis of the principles of the United Nations Charter. [UN Doc] UNSCOP submitted its report (September 3, 1947). UNSCOP voted 8-3 to recommend partitioning Palestine. It supported the termination of the British mandate in Palestine. It submitted a majority proposal for a Plan of Partition, spliting Mandate Palestine into two independent states with economic union. A minority proposal was a Plan for one Federal union with Jerusalem as its capital. Interestingly, although the British asked for U.N.. recomendatiins, it cwould abstain in the General Assembly vote.

Sources

United Nations. General Assembly Resolution 106 Constituting the UNSCOP. (May 15, 1947).

United Nations. UN Doc A/364 Add. 1 d.d. (September 3, 1947).






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Created: 7:00 AM 11/3/2017
Last updated: 10:59 AM 11/3/2017