Sixth Wave of Jewish Immigration to Palestine

Jewish Immigrants at Haifa Port 1948

September 1939 – May 1948

During World War II and up until May 15, 1948, Britain officially claimed to be restricting Jewish immigration to Palestine to avoid provoking the Palestinian population, asserting that it was enforcing the terms of the 1939 White Paper. However, in reality, British actions tell a different story. Secret British documents later revealed that the Royal Navy, which was tasked with preventing so-called “illegal” immigration to Palestine, was aiding Jewish immigrant ships. The navy provided these vessels with supplies, fuel, and water, guided them to the Palestinian coast, and even staged fake “interceptions” upon arrival.

Despite public claims of enforcement, Jewish immigration continued through various clandestine routes. Some immigrants sailed directly to Palestine, while others traveled via neutral ports in Turkey and the Balkans, then proceeded overland or by sea into Palestine.

This period marked a crucial phase in the intensification of Jewish settlement, supported covertly by British authorities, contributing to the growing tensions that would erupt in full-scale conflict upon the British withdrawal and the establishment of Israel in May 1948.

(“Aliyah Bet”: 1939- 1948) Illegal immigration resulted from severe restrictions that Britain imposed on the immigration of Jews. This illegal immigration started in 1934, continued during World War II, and concluded in 1948. It is estimated that between 1939 and 1948, around 110,000 Jewish immigrants participated in “Aliyah Bet.”