UN Partition Plan for Palestine

. The proposal put forth by the United Nations to divide Mandatory Palestine at the conclusion of the British Mandate was known as the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine Formulated by the United Nations. The UN SCOP (Special Committee on Palestine) gave their endorsement to the UN Plan on 3 September 1947, and the UN General Assembly approved as Resolution 181 (II) on 29 November 1947. The resolution proposed establishing separate Arab and Jewish States with economic ties, alongside a "Special International Regime" for Jerusalem and its vicinity.
. The Partition Plan, a comprehensive four-part document included in the resolution, outlined the conclusion of the Mandate, the phased withdrawal of British armed forces no later than August 1, 1948. It also specified the demarcation of borders for the two States and Jerusalem, to be completed within two months of the withdrawal, but not later than October 1, 1948.

. The Arab state was assigned an area covering 11,592 square kilometers, equivalent to 42. 88 percent of the Mandate's territory, while the Jewish state was designated a territory spanning 15,264 square kilometers, making up 56. 47 percent. The remaining 0. 65 percent, or 176 square kilometers, which includes Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the surrounding area, was set to become an international zone. The Plan also included provisions for establishing an economic union among the suggested states, as well as safeguarding the rights of religious and minority groups.
. The Plan aimed to navigate the diverse goals and assertions of two rival movements: Palestinian nationalism and Zionism representing Jewish nationalism. Jewish organizations participated in collaboration with UNSCOP throughout the discussions, whereas the Palestinian Arab leadership chose to boycott it. Critics of The Plan viewed the proposal as being biased towards Zionism, given that it designated the majority of land to the Jewish state even though the Palestinian Arab population outnumbered the Jewish population by two-fold. . The Plan was embraced by the majority of Jews in Palestine and somewhat hesitantly endorsed by the Jewish Agency for Palestine, albeit with reservations. Zionist leaders, especially David Ben-Gurion, saw the adoption of the plan as a strategic move and a gateway to potential territorial growth across the entirety of Palestine.
. The Arab Higher Committee, the Arab League, and other Arab leaders and governments declined the Plan due to the fact that Arabs made up a two-thirds majority and also owned the majority of the territory. They also expressed a reluctance to embrace any territorial splitting, contending that it went against the principles of national self-determination outlined in the UN Charter, which give individuals the authority to determine their own fate. They declared their intention to take all essential steps to deter the execution of the resolution. There was a civil war that erupted in Palestine, causing the plan to not be carried out. In 1948, a significant 85% of Palestinians residing in the regions that later formed the state of Israel were displaced, becoming refugees.

. The majority report of the Committee (CHAPTER VI) envisioned splitting Palestine into three regions: an Arab State, a Jewish State, and the City of Jerusalem, connected by extraterritorial corridors. The envisioned Arab State would comprise the central and western regions of Galilee, incorporating Acre town, the scenic hill areas of Samaria and Judea, a pocket in Jaffa, and the southern coastal stretch from above Isdud (currently Ashdod) to the encompassing region of present-day Gaza Strip, as well as a segment of desert bordering Egypt. The envisioned Jewish State would encompass the lush Eastern Galilee, the Coastal Plain expanding from Haifa to Rehovot, and a significant portion of the Negev desert, which includes the southern enclave of Umm Rashrash (currently known as Eilat). The Jerusalem Corpus Separatum encompassed Bethlehem and its neighboring regions.

. The main aims of most members of the Committee were to foster political separation and promote economic integration among the two factions. The Plan made every effort to include as many Jews as feasible within the Jewish State. In numerous particular instances, this involved incorporating regions with a predominantly Arab population (yet with a notable Jewish minority) into the Jewish state. Therefore, the Jewish State would encompass a significant Arab minority within its population. Regions with low population density, such as the Negev desert, were incorporated into the Jewish state to accommodate immigration. Per the proposed arrangement, residents of the Jewish state, whether Jewish or Arab, would be recognized as citizens of that state; likewise, residents of the Arab state, both Jews and Arabs, would hold citizenship in the Arab state.
. The passage of the resolution necessitated a two-thirds majority of the valid votes from the 57 member states of the UN at that time, excluding those who abstained or were absent. The voting scheduled for 26th November was rescheduled for three days later due to the extended discussions led by the Zionist delegation. Multiple sources indicate that if the vote had taken place on the initial scheduled date, it would have garnered a majority, albeit falling short of the necessary two-thirds. Different compromise proposals and variations on a single state, such as federations and cantonal systems, were discussed during the debate, some of which had been rejected in previous committee meetings. The supporters of Zionism in New York took advantage of the delay to exert additional pressure on states that were not backing the resolution.

. Several Arab leaders opposed the partition plan, citing concerns about the safety of Jewish populations in Arab countries. The Arab states gently cautioned the Western Powers that supporting the partition plan could lead to the implementation of an oil embargo or potential alignment of the Arab states with the Soviet Bloc. On the 29th of November in the year 1947, the United Nations General Assembly supported the adjusted Partition Plan with a vote of 33 in favor, 13 against, with 10 abstentions, and 1 member absent.