MacDonald White Paper

Document | On May 17, 1939, and to mollify Palestinian Arabs on the eve of World War II, the British government issued a White Paper proposing an independent government in Palestine within ten years. Co-authored by Arabs and Jews, the proposal also called for establishing a treaty with Britain guaranteeing the trade and war interests of the two countries. While Zionist leaders rejected the proposal, there was an apparent tendency to accept it among Palestinian leaders. Still, the Palestinian National Movement leader, Mohammed Amin al-Husseini, stood in its way.

Read an overview of this White Paper on the Palestinian Timeline.