‘An elegant account’

In 1941-42, the Jewish community of Palestine - the Yishuv - faced the prospect of German invasion from both north and south. Yet, despite long-standing ties, British authorities refused to arm the Yishuv, fearing Arab unrest. The result was widespread hostility in the Yishuv towards Britain. This study explores the subsequent breakdown of trust, and how these tensions shaped the struggle for Jewish independence.

’This is an elegant account of the genesis of the long forgotten military struggle of the Jews for an independent state in Mandatory Palestine during the early 1940s. Geoffrey Charin dissects the complexity of the times and the possibility of a Nazi invasion of Palestine - and what this could have meant for its Jewish population. Charin eloquently examines British national interests in a time of war and its political and security machinations in the Middle East.’

Colin Shindler

Emeritus Professor, SOAS, University of London