Question 1

According to Herzl, if Jews acquired political sovereignty in a state of their own, which of the following problems would be solved?

Accepted Answer

According to Herzl, the acquisition of political sovereignty in a state of their own would solve all of the mentioned problems - anti-Semitism, subordinate status of Jewish nationality, and Jewish oppression.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT true of Zionism?

Accepted Answer

Zionism was not begun by Middle Eastern Jews in response to Ottoman persecution. In fact, it was largely a movement initiated by European Jews, particularly in response to anti-Semitism in Europe.

Question 3

The Palestine mandate was different from other mandates in the region because

Accepted Answer

The Palestine mandate was distinct because, unlike other mandates in the region where the native population eventually assumed control after the departure of European powers, in Palestine, the native Arab population did not take control when the British left. Instead, the state of Israel was established, leading to ongoing conflict.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT true of Jewish immigration in Palestine?

Accepted Answer

By 1936, the number of Jews in Palestine was greater than it had been in the previous decades, but it was not greater than the number of Arabs. In 1948, when Israel declared independence, the Jewish population was still only about one-third of the total population of the area.

Question 5

The increasing impoverishment and marginalization of the Palestinian Arab peasantry was the result of ____________________.

Accepted Answer

All of these answers are correct. The transfer of cultivated land from Arab to Jewish ownership, British taxation policies that pushed small land and farm proprietors into debt, and the attitudes of Arab notables who profited from the peasants' plight all contributed to the increasing impoverishment and marginalization of the Palestinian Arab peasantry.

Question 6

The British dispatched many commissions to Palestine. Which of the following commissions did the British government accept and act upon in strict accordance with the report's recommendations?

Accepted Answer

None of the commissions listed resulted in the British government acting in strict accordance with their recommendations. The Hope-Simpson and Shaw Commissions led to some policy adjustments, but not full implementation of their recommendations. The Peel Commission's proposal for partition was ultimately rejected.

Question 7

What was the unique recommendation from the Peel Commission regarding the antagonism between Arabs and Jews?

Accepted Answer

The Peel Commission recommended that Palestine be partitioned into separate Arab and Jewish states, with Jerusalem remaining a neutral territory under British control. This was a unique recommendation as it provided a solution to the ongoing conflict between Arabs and Jews in Palestine. However, the recommendation was not fully implemented and ultimately led to further conflict and displacement of both Arab and Jewish populations.

Question 8

The 1947 United Nations proposal recommended the partition of Palestine into two states, an Arab State and Jewish State, as well as ________________.

Accepted Answer

The 1947 United Nations proposal recommended the partition of Palestine into two states, an Arab State and Jewish State, as well as the designation of Jerusalem as an internationalized district. There was no mention of French or British strongholds.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT true of the first Arab-Israeli War in 1948?

Accepted Answer

David Ben-Gurion did not die during the first Arab-Israeli War in 1948. He continued to serve as the Prime Minister of Israel until 1963.

Question 10

What was Plan D, as implemented by the Haganah?

Accepted Answer

Plan D, also known as Plan Dalet, was the campaign launched by the Haganah (the Jewish paramilitary organization) in April 1948 to undertake the systematic expulsion of Palestinian Arabs living within the area allocated to the Jewish state by means of conquest, permanent occupation, or leveling of Arab villages. The plan involved the takeover of Arab towns and villages, giving the inhabitants the choice of leaving or staying and accepting Jewish control. The expulsion was a central part of the ethnic cleansing that resulted in the displacement of over 700,000 Palestinian Arabs from their homes and the creation of the Palestinian refugee population.

Question 11

Which of the following statements is NOT true of Theodore Herzl?

Accepted Answer

Theodore Herzl is often called the father of modern political Zionism, but he did not originate the concept of Zionism itself. The idea of a Jewish return to Zion (the biblical name for Jerusalem and the Land of Israel) has ancient roots and was discussed in various forms before Herzl's time. Herzl's significant contribution was in popularizing the idea and working towards its political realization in the modern era, particularly through his book "The Jewish State" and his efforts in organizing the Zionist movement.

Question 12

Which of the following most accurately describes the Histadrut?

Accepted Answer

The federation founded in 1920 to promote Jewish trade unionism is the most accurate description of the Histadrut. It played a significant role in the development and growth of the Israeli economy and society.

Question 13

Following UNSCOP's report in September 1947, what did the United Nations vote to do in Palestine?

Accepted Answer

The United Nations voted to divide Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states and accord Jerusalem international status. This plan, known as the Partition Plan, was adopted by the UN General Assembly on November 29, 1947, and led to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

Question 14

Which of the following most accurately describes aliyahs?

Accepted Answer

Aliyahs refer to waves of Jewish immigration to Palestine, particularly during the late 1800s and early 1900s as Zionism began to gain momentum. Jews from around the world made aliyah, moving to Palestine in order to create a Jewish national home.

Question 15

Which of the following is not true of Hajj Amin al-Husayni?

Accepted Answer

While Hajj Amin al-Husayni did have conflicts with the British administration in Palestine, he did work with them at times. For example, he accepted a British nomination to be Mufti of Jerusalem in 1921, and the following year he was appointed president of the Supreme Muslim Council by the British High Commissioner.

Question 16

Which of the following accurately describes the Revisionists?

Accepted Answer

The Revisionists were a splinter group of the Yishuv, the pre-state Jewish community in Palestine, that called for immediate proclamation of a Jewish homeland and massive Jewish immigration into Palestine. They were led by Ze'ev Jabotinsky and were more militant and nationalist than the mainstream Zionists. They also rejected the idea of partitioning Palestine with the Arabs and called for the establishment of a Jewish state on both sides of the Jordan River.

Question 17

Which of the following accurately describes the activities of the Jewish National Fund?

Accepted Answer

The Jewish National Fund (JNF) was a Zionist organization responsible for purchasing land in Palestine for Jewish settlement. Its activities, including land acquisition, indirectly led to the eviction of tenant farmers as lands were bought and exclusively used for Jewish settlements, contributing to higher unemployment rates among the Arab peasantry. Additionally, the economic pressures faced by the Arab peasantry, exacerbated by British taxation policies, forced them to borrow money at high interest rates, further entangling them in a cycle of debt and dispossession.

Question 18

Which of the following explains the significance of the Great Revolt of 1936-1939?

Accepted Answer

The Great Revolt of 1936-1939 had multiple significances, including its anti-British and anti-Zionist thrust, and its involvement of a peasant social revolution against the established Arab notability. The revolt also resulted in the White Paper of 1939, which limited Jewish immigration to Palestine, and effectively dismantled the Palestinian Arab leadership. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

Question 19

Which of the following does NOT accurately describe the Biltmore Program?

Accepted Answer

The Biltmore Program was not a British-led effort, but rather a resolution adopted by US Zionists.

Question 20

Which of the following is true of the Arab Higher Committee?

Accepted Answer

All of these options are true. The Arab Higher Committee was created in 1936 in response to the Arab General Strike and demanded restrictions on immigration and land sales, as well as a democratic government. However, it failed to direct popular opinion, and in October 1937, after the district commissioner for Galilee was murdered, Britain repealed it.

Quiz 13: The Palestine Mandate and the Birth of the State of Israel