#History #timeline

Palestinian nationalism: An overview

Key takeaways

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Reading notes

• Two types of nationalism; civic (territorial) nationalism- the national group is the totality of the citizens, and, ethno-nationalism- emphasises primordial ethnic affiliation

• The Palestinians Awaken to A Crushing Defeat

• First steps emerged from Emir Feisal's abortive attempt to establish a state of 'Greater Syria' and the mandate that followed

• This political separation helped reinforce Palestinian national consciousness

• Bodies were set up to encompass all Palestinians- first of these was the Palestinian Arab Executive Committee in 1920 soon followed by the Palestinian Higher Committer headed by Haj Amin al-Husseini

• Made attempts to crystallise Palestinian national movements

• The development of political parties- all except the independence party reflected the clan structure of contemporary Palestinian society: The Husseini family and its allies versus the Nashashibi family et al

• The intervention of Arab leaders from neighbouring countries to end the strikes and disturbances

• This intervention marked the Arabization of the Palestinian problem

• The disappointing progress of the Arab Revolt caused Palestinian national movement to wane with a considerable part of the leadership sent into exile

• Zionist movements became stronger economically, politically, and militarily

• Moved its focus of activities from London to Washington and win the support of the Soviets as well

• Culminated in UN resolution 181 which called for the mandate to be split into two states- one Jewish, the other Arab

• Palestinian peoples natural political development was thus disrupted by the outcome of the war and the establishment of the state of Israel

• On the eve of the Nakba and Israel's establishment close to two million persons were living in mandatory Palestine , two-thirds Arab and one-third Jew

• Only 160,000 Palestinians remained in the state of Israel when the fighting ended

• Nearly 780,000 became refugees

• In 1952 there were about 1.6 million Palestinians, of whom only 11% lived in Israel; 18% in the Gaza strip, and 47% in the West bank

• The processes that should have led to the formation of a Palestinian political entity were disrupted or halted in their tracks

• Dispersal of Palestinian leadership which had only began to recover after the 1936-39 revolt

• Whilst WW2 was still under way, Arab countries sent the PM of Syria, Jamil Mardam to Palestine to put together a Palestinian delegation to participate in Arab countries discussion of the Palestine question in Alexandria in October 1944

• His attempt to build a consensus among the Husseini's and the heads of the independence party failed, instead he nominated Musa al-Alami who was an official of the mandate

• Failed as a representative because of his opposition to both the Husseini's and the Independence party

• Another attempt in November 1945 of the 'second' Arab Higher Committer also failed due to Husseini's domination and their exclusion from it of Alami and the Independence party

• When Jamal al-Husseini was allowed back from exile in 1946 he established the third Arab Higher Committee

• Encountered problems in represting all Palestinians- especially after the founding of the Supreme Arab Front by the Independence party in cooperation with the National Liberation Front and the Arab Workers Union- both controlled by Arab communists

• Only after Juen 1946 with the intervention by the Arab League- founded in 1945 was the fourht Committee founded- called the Higher Arab Execuative Committee

• Comprised of Huseini controlled Higher Committee and the Higher Arab Front

• Jamal al-husseini was elected deputy chairman with chairman being reserved fro Haj Amin al-Husseini who was still in exile

• Over time other bodies were added- national arab fund, reform party et al

• Reinforced Husseini's' hold over the Committee and Haj Amin's leadership

• February 1947 declaration of passing the Mandate question over to the UN intensified preparations to frustrate any attempt to establish a Jewish state

• October 1947 decision was made to set up an army under the command of Ismail Sarwat

• In December, the Arab League established the Liberation Army composed of volunteers

• Two months later the League established a joint command of the armies of Egypt, Transjordan, Iraq, and Lebanon, headed by an Iraqi officer, Nur ed-Din Mahmud also to be sent to Palestine

• Later Emir Abdallah of Transjordan became supreme commander of the Arab armies that crossed the border into Palestine

• The Leagues measures were opposed by Haj Amin who feared of his position and the future of the country with such Arab intervention

• Decided to establish independently the army of the Sacred Jihad made of Palestinian volunteers

• No coordination between the two forces

• The army that Haj Amin established collapsed and the leaders of the Arab Higher Committee fled for their lives

• When Ahmad Hemi Pasha- a treasurer of the committee got to Gaza he established a Palestinian National Council that declared an independent state of Palestine and was elected PM of this state with Haj Amin president

• Emir Abdallah who wanted to annex the west bank prevented this government from operating in the area- denying access to 47% of all Palestinians with the Jewish armies doing the same in their areas

• In 1959 their offices were closed by decree of president of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser

• The departure of so many members of the moneyed class- many of whom were members of powerful ruling clans paralysed public life in the cities

• This facilitated the mass exodus of the middle and lower classes of April-June 1948