Britain's naval and political reaction to the illegal immigration of Jews to Palestine, 1945-1948

1. Introduction

2. The determinants of British policy towards Jewish immigration into Palestine, from the Balfour Declaration via the Royal Commissions to the 1939 White book and to the final abandonment of the 'national home' commitment

3. The British preoccupation with the perceived danger of communist infiltration and subversion

4. Britain's fight against the sources of illegal immigration beyond the borders of Palestine and her confrontation with the financial, logistic and moral supporters in Europe and North America

5. The legal issues involved

6. Detention in Palestine

the deportation of illegal Jewish immigrants to Cyprus and their detention/ imprisonment : the legal base constructed by Britain

7. The rules of engagement adopted by the adversaries

8. The British forces engaged in anti-immigration patrols and the confronting Jewish adversaries

9. The physical confrontation : interception and diversion policies in theory and practice

10. Refoulement and abandonment of the boarding policy

11. Conclusion : conduct and effects of the British policy and the final failure of the blockade

appendix 1. List of RN and PP vessels engaged in the 'Palestine Patrol'

appendix 2. List of deportation and prison ships

appendix 3. Details of Jewish illegal ships which landed immigrants on the Palestinian coast or were intercepted by British Armed Forces or Palestine Police

appendix 4. Crew members of HM ships interviewed by the author

appendix 5. Crew members of IJI ships interviewed by the author

appendix 6. Biographical glossary