Question

Which statement explains one reason why tensions increased between Great Britain and Jews in Palestine during World War II?

A. Zionists believed that Great Britain had known about the Holocaust and done nothing to stop it.

B. Great Britain helped create the Arab League, which vowed to never accept a Jewish state.

C. Jewish groups began capturing British territory while the British army was distracted by World War II.

D. The British limited Jewish immigration to Palestine in exchange for Arab oil resources.

Answer 1

The correct answer is D. The British limited Jewish immigration to Palestine in exchange for Arab oil resources. Although it was known by 1942 that Jews were being exterminated in Europe by the Nazis, Britain was in a delicate position since it had to fight the Germans in Northern Africa. The war required both local support of the Muslim populations and oil from the gulf countries, notably Saudi Arabia. Therefore they were torn between the moral imperative of saving the Jews from extermination and getting enough oil for the war effort. Since they restricted legal immigration for that purpose Jews were naturally outraged and their most radical paramilitary organizations, Irgun and Lehi carried out bomb attacks against both British and Arab targets. It is true that Great Britain helped create the Arab League, it is anachronistic to say that it vowed to never accept a Jewish state since the Arab League was only formed in march of 1945, when the war was practically over in most of Europe.

Answer 2

the correct answer is D

The British limited Jewish immigration to Palestine in exchange for Arab oil resources.

The British actually limited the absorptive capacity of Palestine by partitioning the country.They also placed restrictions on Jewish land purchases in what remained of Palestine.