Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry

The Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry was formed in November 1945 by British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin. Its purpose was to investigate the political, economic, and social conditions in Palestine and to examine the question of Jewish immigration and land ownership. The committee was tasked with recommending a policy for Palestine, and pending its report, Jewish immigration was to continue at a rate of 1,500 persons per month above the 75,000 limit set by the 1939 white paper.1

The committee's formation was an effort to secure American coresponsibility for a Palestinian policy. The issue of Jewish immigration to Palestine was a major point of contention between Zionists, who sought to establish a Jewish state, and Palestinian Arabs, who desired independence as an Arab state. The committee's findings and recommendations influenced later United Nations resolutions regarding the partition of Palestine.21