Introduction

On Tuesday, 19th September 1944, the British War Office announced that a Jewish Brigade was to be formed, this fulfilling the long held wish of Palestinian Jews serving in the British Army to become part of an independent unit. It was on another Tuesday, 20th March 1945, that the Brigade supported by the North Irish Horse launched its first successful offensive and proved itself to the world. The story goes back to the First World War.

The Balfour Declaration

"Foreign Office November 2nd, 1917

Dear Lord Rothschild:

I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet:

His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.

I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.

Yours,
Arthur James Balfour"

The Palestinian Mandate

Balfour's pledge pledge was incorporated into the League of Nations mandate for Palestine in 1922, under which Britain was instructed to "facilitate" Jewish immigration and settlement upon the land. Its intention was supported by Faisal I, King of Iraq, in an exchange of letters with Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the Zionist leader who later became the first president of Israel.

During May 1939 the British Government issued a 'White Paper' on the future of the Palestine Territory. Without delving too deeply in to this British legislative blueprint, suffice it to say, the proposal to split the Territory with the River Jordan dividing the two parts ignited reactions - first by the Yishuv's underground army, the Haganah, the actions of which energised Britain's essentially dormant Anti-Zionist party. Thus began the long journey leading up to the formation of the Jewish Brigade.

When the war in Europe broke out in September the Yishuv drew back somewhat from its aggressive opposition to the British. David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency in Palestine, hoping simultaneously to reassure both his people and His Majesty's government, articulated: "We will fight the White Paper as if there is no war, and fight the war as if there is no White Paper."

The British Government was not persuaded. When the Jewish Agency quickly volunteered to recruit its own force to serve alongside the King's troops against the Nazis, the offer was rejected with corresponding alacrity "Your public spiritied assurances are welcome and will be kept in mind," Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain tactfully wrote back. Some eight months later, came a new leader with more positive views on Jewish participation in the war effort.

As Thursday 10th May 1940 dawned, came the news that the long expected attack by German forces had commenced, the borders of Holland and Belgium having been crossed in numerous places. Later in the day, Neville Chamberlain's offer to resign having been accepted, King George VI called upon the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill to assume the Premiership, a position which he accepted.

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