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The British conquered the Land of Israel towards the end of World War I. In the Balfour Declaration, they undertook to facilitate the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. But as the conflict between Jews and Arabs in the country escalated, it led to a change in British policy and to restrictions on Jewish immigration. Consequently, Zionist activists launched illegal immigration operations – which were known as Aliyah Bet.
Following World War II, thousands of Jews left Europe in that manner. Most of the ships carrying them were intercepted and the would-be immigrants were placed in internment camps in Cyprus. In 1947, the population in Palestine numbered 1,970,000, of whom 630,000 were Jews.
