In 1917, the British government issued the Balfour Declaration, which promised to establish a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. This declaration was made in response to growing support for Zionism, the movement for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine.
However, the British also had other obligations in the region. They had promised to protect the rights of the Palestinian Arabs, who made up the majority of the population of Palestine. They also had to take into account the interests of the French, who had control over Syria and Lebanon.
As a result, the British made a number of conflicting promises to different groups. They promised the Jews a national home, but they also promised the Arabs that their rights would be protected. They promised the French that they would not allow Palestine to become a Jewish state, but they also promised the Jews that they would support the establishment of a Jewish homeland.
These conflicting promises led to tension and conflict between the different groups in Palestine. The Jews wanted to establish a Jewish state, while the Arabs wanted to prevent this from happening. The British were caught in the middle, and they were unable to resolve the conflict.
The conflict eventually led to the partition of Palestine in 1947. The United Nations voted to divide Palestine into two states, one for the Jews and one for the Arabs. However, the partition plan was rejected by the Arabs, and the conflict continued.
The conflict between the Jews and the Arabs in Palestine has been going on for over a century. It is one of the most intractable conflicts in the world, and it has no easy solution.