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Palestine up until 1939. By Hugh, Imogen and Leann. Introduction. Non-existent in modern society – currently known as Israel Palestinians lived in Palestine for the past 2000 years under different rulers Descendants of the Canaanites and the Edomites (1517 – Ottoman Empire)
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Palestine up until 1939 By Hugh, Imogen and Leann
Introduction • Non-existent in modern society – currently known as Israel • Palestinians lived in Palestine for the past 2000 years under different rulers • Descendants of the Canaanites and the Edomites (1517 – Ottoman Empire) • Mainly argiculture • Many religions – attracted pilgrims and welcomed them • Harmony – multi-cultural, multi-confessional • 19th century – pan-Arab nationalism movement began to take shape • People began to feel hope for an Arab independent state. • National identity for the Arabs • Arabs unhappy with the peace treaties • 1920 – First Arab group came together to go against Zionism
Jewish Home in Palestine • 1881 - First group to propose idea – Hovevei Zion (Lovers of Zion) after being persecuted • First wave of immigrants called the First Aliyah • By end of 19th century – a number of small, Jewish settlements totaling an estimated 4,500 inhabitants • Early settlements maintained peaceful relations with locals and went largely unnoticed • 1896 – Theodor Herzl wrote The Jewish State which began Zionist movement • Jewish people should have a national home to avoid persecution as a minority in other nations • 1917 – UK back Jewish national home through Balfour Declaration
Jewish Home • Financial backing from National Jewish Fund to purchase Palestinian land • Goal for Jews to outnumber Palestinians • Land purchased not to be resold to non-Jews • Employers encouraged not to employ Palestinians to force them out of area • Ideological justification – Jewish Biblical history showed that Jews had lived in Palestine previously • Moral justification – show that land belonged to no one • Reject Palestinian nationhood • “A land without people for a people without land.”
Jewish Organization • Establish common history, common language, and common religion as cornerstone for future Jewish nation • 1906 – First Jewish political parties, Hebrew newspapers, and collective farms established • 1909 – Jewish militia called Hashomer established • 1922 – League of Nations ratified Palestinian mandate • Article 4 - “an appropriate Jewish Agency would advise and co-operate with the administration for the purpose of establishing the Jewish National Home”
Hostilities Between Jews and Palestinians • Local Palestinians were Arabs • Palestinians angered at Jewish buy up of land and refusal to employ locals • Anger turned to violence which caused Jewish retaliation resulting in British intervention • British arrested perpetrators which made them unpopular with the Palestinians • British set up a number of commissions to find cause of violence • Haganah, a Jewish paramilitary group, was established to fight the Palestinians and protect Jewish farmers
Hostilities • UK government published “White Paper” which said that Britain did "not contemplate that Palestine as a whole should be converted into a Jewish National Home, but that such a home should be founded in Palestine” • Recommendations made such as controlling the amount of land purchased by Jews • Recommendations caused riots and move from militia to underground army
Social/Economic Development • From 1930 to 1935 – Jewish population doubled • From 1931 to 1935, Tel Aviv expanded from 46,000 to 135,000 • By end of 1930s – Jews made up 1/3 of people in Palestine • Many immigrants were highly skilled but fleeing from anti-Semitic persecution • Brought skills and wealth to Palestinian economy • Haifa, the terminus of the oil pipelines linking Mosul to the Mediterranean became major industrial center
Uneven Economic Growth • Palestinian farmers could not compete with imported goods and so were forced to sell land and leave to other nations • Between 1922 and 1947 • Annual growth of Jewish sector was 13.2% while Palestinian annual growth was 6.5% • Investment in Jewish establishments were at 12.1 million pounds while in Palestinian establishments they were at 2 million pounds • By 1936 – average Jewish worker made 2.6 times more than the average Palestinian worker • Economic difference caused Palestinian resentment of Jews
Social/Cultural Growth • 1919 – Centralized Hebrew school system • 1925 – Two Hebrew universities • 1932 – Jewish literacy rate at 86% while Palestinian literacy rate at 22%
Great Arab Revolt of 1936-1939 • Triggered by murders of two Jews – retaliation by murder of two Palestinians • Mob attacks on communities and guerilla attacks on British installations • Arab Higher Committee formed and demands made • Stop Jewish immigration • End transferal of land to Jewish owners • Representative government based on democratic rules • Palestinians became more organized with better tactics and long term objectives • Destruction of crops, pipelines, and roads
Revolt • Irgun formed – in response to Palestinian revolt • “The national military organization in the land of Israel” • Ideology demonstrates the two communities’ inability to harmonize • British officials later became targets • Revolt caused deaths of 101 Britons, 463 Jews, and approximately 5000 Palestinians
British White Paper of 1939 • Much retribution from the British caused many arrests, imprisonments, executions, causing collapse of Arab national movement • Arab-Palestinian national identity formed after unity from Palestinians • Britain convinced of existence of Palestinian national response • White Paper challenged the idea of a ‘Jewish state’ • White Paper proposed: • Limit of 15,000 Jews a year for 5 years • Acceptance of 25,000 refugees • Only specific zones of land could be handed to Jews • Palestine would be settled with independence within ten years • Zionists disagreed with British promise, prompting them to look elsewhere for support