Partition

Secretly, they agreed to partition Polish territory between them, with Germany’s sphere in the west and the USSR’s in the east.

Opponents of partition wanted to prevent the establishment of a Jewish state. They regarded the proposed division as unfair and favourable to the Jewish community. They also objected to the prospect that Arabs living in territory allocated to the Jewish state would come under its authority.

After Indian independence and Partition in 1947, the East End’s Muslim population expanded further. Many arrivals came from East Pakistan, the territory that became Bangladesh in 1971. Suffering associated with Partition encouraged migration, while existing connections helped draw migrants towards the East End.

For many nationalists, a settlement pointing towards partition was therefore unsatisfactory. Neither parliamentary progress nor proposals for compromise removed the underlying disagreement over who should govern Ireland.