United Nations Special Committee on Palestine

UNSCOP stands for the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine Formed in May of 1947, in response to the handover of the British Mandate of Palestine to the UN to vote upon which solution to use for partitioning the land. Conclusions: Jews were still a considerable minority, constituing only a third of the population and owning roughly 6 percent of the the total land in Palestine. However, the conditions in Palestine were quickly deteriorating and a solution was urgently needed. Recommendations: The committee recommended that the British mandate should be terminated and Palestine should be granted independence. However, the committee was divided on what kind of state it should be. Yet, they presented the possibility of both an Arab state and Jewish state within Palestine, with the borders basically drawn along population lines.

The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) was created on 15 May 1947 in response to a United Kingdom government request that the General Assembly "make recommendations under article 10 of the Charter, concerning the future government of Palestine ". The British government had also recommended the establishment of a special committee to prepare a report for the General Assembly. The General Assembly adopted the recommendation to set up the UNSCOP to investigate the cause of the conflict in Palestine, and, if possible, devise a solution. UNSCOP was made up of representatives of 11 nations. UNSCOP visited Palestine and gathered testimony from Zionist organisations in Palestine and in the US. The Arab Higher Committee boycotted the Commission, explaining that the Palestinian Arabs' natural rights were self-evident and could not continue to be subject to investigation, but rather deserved to be recognized on the basis of the principles of the United Nations Charter. The Report of the Committee dated 3 September 1947 supported the termination of the British mandate in Palestine. It contained a majority proposal for a Plan of Partition into two independent states with Economic Union (CHAPTER VI) and a minority proposal for a Plan for one Federal union with Jerusalem as its capital (CHAPTER VII). On 29 November 1947 the General Assembly adopted Resolution 181 , based on the UNSCOP majority plan (with only slight modifications to the proposed recommendations).

Meetings of UNSCOP at YMCA in Jerusalem (Seated at far left, David Ben-Gurion ) UNSCOP members visiting Haifa, July 18, 1947) The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) was created on 15 May 1947 in response to a United Kingdom government request that the General Assembly "make recommendations under article 10 of the Charter, concerning the future government of Palestine ". The British government had also recommended the establishment of a special committee to prepare a report for the General Assembly. The General Assembly adopted the recommendation to set up the UNSCOP to investigate the cause of the conflict in Palestine, and, if possible, devise a solution. UNSCOP was made up of representatives of 11 nations. UNSCOP visited Palestine and gathered testimony from Zionist organisations in Palestine and in the US. The Arab Higher Committee boycotted the Commission, explaining that the Palestinian Arabs' natural rights were self-evident and could not continue to be subject to investigation, but rather deserved to be recognized on the basis of the principles of the United Nations Charter. The Report of the Committee dated 3 September 1947 supported the termination of the British mandate in Palestine. It contained a majority proposal for a Plan of Partition into two independent states with Economic Union (CHAPTER VI) and a minority proposal for a Plan for one Federal union with Jerusalem as its capital (CHAPTER VII).The Zionist side accepted the Plan of Partition while the Arab side rejected both proposals. Following release of the report, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Palestinian Question was appointed by the General Assembly. On 29 November 1947 the General Assembly adopted Resolution 181 , based on the UNSCOP majority plan (with only slight modifications to the proposed recommendations).

International committee created in 1947 to deal with the Arab–Jewish conflict in British Palestine Meetings of UNSCOP at YMCA in Jerusalem (Seated at far left, David Ben-Gurion ) UNSCOP members visiting Haifa, July 18, 1947) The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine ( UNSCOP ) was created on 15 May 1947 in response to a United Kingdom government request that the General Assembly "make recommendations under article 10 of the Charter, concerning the future government of Palestine ". The British government had also recommended the establishment of a special committee to prepare a report for the General Assembly. The General Assembly adopted the recommendation to set up the UNSCOP to investigate the cause of the conflict in Palestine, and, if possible, devise a solution. UNSCOP was made up of representatives of 11 countries. UNSCOP visited Palestine and gathered testimony from Zionist organisations in Palestine and in the US. The Arab Higher Committee boycotted the commission, explaining that the Palestinian Arabs' natural rights were self-evident and could not continue to be subject to investigation, but rather deserved to be recognized on the basis of the principles of the United Nations Charter. The report of the committee dated 3 September 1947 supported the termination of the British Mandate in Palestine. It contained a majority proposal for a Plan of Partition into two independent states with Economic Union (CHAPTER VI) and a minority proposal for a Plan for one Federal union with Jerusalem as its capital (CHAPTER VII). The majority plan was supported by 8 of the 11 members, with Iran, India and Yugoslavia voting against. The Zionist side accepted the Plan of Partition while the Arab side rejected both proposals. Following release of the report, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Palestinian Question was appointed by the General Assembly. On 29 November 1947 the General Assembly adopted Resolution 181 , based on the UNSCOP majority plan (with only slight modifications to the proposed recommendations).

International committee Meetings of UNSCOP at YMCA in Jerusalem (seated at far left, David Ben-Gurion ) UNSCOP members visiting Haifa (July 18, 1947) The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine ( UNSCOP ) was created on 15 May 1947 in response to a United Kingdom government request that the General Assembly "make recommendations under article 10 of the Charter, concerning the future government of Palestine ". The British government had also recommended the establishment of a special committee to prepare a report for the General Assembly. The General Assembly adopted the recommendation to set up the UNSCOP to investigate the cause of the conflict in Palestine, and, if possible, devise a solution. UNSCOP was made up of representatives of 11 countries. UNSCOP visited Palestine and gathered testimony from Zionist organisations in Palestine and in the US. The Arab Higher Committee boycotted the commission, explaining that the Palestinian Arabs' natural rights were self-evident and could not continue to be subject to investigation, but rather deserved to be recognized on the basis of the principles of the United Nations Charter. The report of the committee dated 3 September 1947 supported the termination of the British Mandate in Palestine. It contained a majority proposal for a plan of partition into two independent states with an economic union and a minority proposal for a plan for a federal union with Jerusalem as its capital. The majority plan was supported by 7 of the 11 members, with Iran, India and Yugoslavia voting against it, and Australia abstaining. Following the report's release, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Palestinian Question was appointed by the General Assembly. On 29 November 1947, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 181 , a slight modification of the recommendations proposed in the UNSCOP majority plan.