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Mandate for Palestine

How did the San Remo Resolution contribute to the Mandates?

Andrew Tucker

he Covenant of the League of It was on the basis of this
TNations, which was incorporated resolution, together with Article
into the Treaty of Versailles (Jan 22 of the Covenant, that the
1920), established in its Article 22 Mandates for Mesopotamia, Syria
a system of Mandates applicable and Palestine were subsequently
to the former German colonies and drafted. The Mandate for Palestine
to the territories that had been was approved by the Council of the
part of the collapsed Ottoman League of Nations in July 1922.
Turkish Empire. The latter were all There are several unique aspects of
considered “Class A” Mandates the Mandate for Palestine:
for having the most developed San Remo Conference, 1920
peoples, compared to those in 1. Virtual beneficiaries
Africa and elsewhere. These The Principal Allied and Associated Unlike the other Mandates, the
Mandates were intended “as an Powers (Britain, France, Italy and beneficiaries of the Mandate
international institution with an Japan; plus the USA) met in April for Palestine were specifically
international object—a sacred 1920 to determine the future of named: “the Jewish people” – who
trust of civilization”, to prepare the these territories. The question for constituted, at the time, only a
territories for self-government in resolution was: which Mandates minority of the total population
view of the welfare, development would Britain and France each in the territory of Palestine. The
and protection of the peoples of the obtain, and what would be the Preamble to the Mandate states
territory. boundaries of these Mandates? On that recognition was given to “the
“the Mandates were 25 April 1920, the Supreme Council historical connection of the Jewish
people with Palestine and to the
agreed to create Mandates for Syria,
intended as ‘a sacred Mesopotamia and Palestine. The grounds for reconstituting their
trust of civilization’ ” full resolution is reproduced later in national home in that country”.
With these words, the League of
this booklet.

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