developed MacDonald's White Paper of 1939, which had looked to partition the colony into two states whilst severely limiting the number of Jewish refugees entering Palestine at a time of their greatest need. Zionist right wing members and Palestinian factions both considered British imperialism as long term obstacles to freedom, some harbouring German sympathisers. Lehi, an offshoot of Irgun, was an underground paramilitary group with an avowed aim of forcibly evicting the British and was established in June 1940 in Mandatory Palestine. Italy entered WWII on 10 June 1940 and the Vichy Government was effectively formed on 22 June 1940, which resulted in the Syrian/Lebanon colonies coming under their control. Their Army of the Levant included North African Troops or tirailleurs with contingents from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. On 3 July 1940 the allies struck with an Attack on Mers-el-Kebir and once again the panoply of warfare enveloped Jerusalem and Palestine. British Mandate finished on 14 May 1948. 1967 Moshe Dayan as Defence Minister commands absolute victory securing Jerusalem and Israel in the Six Days War. References Further reading Picard L. 19 January 1960. George Stanfield Blake his work in Palestine 1922 - 1940. Memorial Lecture & Bull. Res Council of Israel, Vol 11G2, 1962 pp 49–57. Israel Geological Society.1960. G.S. Blake, 1876 - 1940. Memorial Meeting. Bull. Res Council of Israel. Vol. 9G,pp 167–173. 1876 births 1940 deaths British geologists British people in Mandatory Palestine