| Name | British Mandate of Palestine |
| Type | Administrative region |
| Status | Ended in 1948 |
| Notable | Did not focus on creating a Jewish homeland as proposed in the Balfour Declaration |
| Purpose | Transition from Ottoman to Arab self-rule |
| Established | After World War I |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | |
| Conflict level | Less violent conflict between Arab and Jewish communities compared to our timeline |
| Established by |
The British Mandate of Palestine was a transitional administrative region established by the United Kingdom in the aftermath of World War I, following the defeat and dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Unlike the infamous Balfour Declaration that led to prolonged conflict in our timeline, the British administration in this alternate reality focused primarily on enabling the gradual transition of Palestine from Ottoman to Arab self-governance.
After the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I, the victorious Allies divided up its former territories through the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920. The League of Nations subsequently granted the United Kingdom a mandate over the region of Palestine, which at the time had a predominantly Arab population with a significant Jewish minority.
Unlike the Balfour Declaration that in our timeline called for the establishment of a Jewish "national home" in Palestine, the British administration in this timeline did not make any such explicit pledges. Instead, the mandate's primary purpose was to oversee the orderly transfer of governance from the Ottoman authorities to the local Arab population, in alignment with the principle of national self-determination championed by US President Woodrow Wilson.
Over the first decades of the mandate, the British worked to build up the capacity and institutions of local Arab governance, including the establishment of an elected Legislative Council of Palestine. Jewish immigration continued during this period, but at a slower and more controlled pace compared to our timeline, helping to avoid the intense tensions and violence that plagued the original mandate.
In 1939, the British published the White Paper of 1939, which outlined a plan for granting Palestine full independence within 10 years, with the ultimate goal of establishing an independent Arab state. This was largely in response to the growing Arab nationalist movement, which had become increasingly assertive in demanding self-rule.
True to their commitments, the British transferred power to the elected Arab government of Palestine in 1948, marking the end of the mandate. Palestine was then formally established as the independent State of Palestine, with its capital in Jerusalem. The transition was relatively peaceful, as the local Jewish population was integrated into the new state through a combination of political representation and economic incentives.
While not without some tensions and challenges, the British Mandate of Palestine in this alternate timeline is generally remembered as a successful example of a colonial power facilitating the decolonization and self-determination of a territory, in contrast to the protracted conflict that emerged in our own timeline. The establishment of Palestine as an independent Arab state, rather than the creation of Israel, had profound ramifications that continue to shape the geopolitics of the Middle East to this day.
