The General Strike, Great Revolt and the Peel Commission

Deteriorating situation in Palestine World Depression Fifth aliyah (Jewish immigration)  High unemployment in Palestine among Arabs and Jews New Arab party, Istiqlal, in opposition to Hajj Amin and the Supreme Muslim Council

Spring and summer 1936 “spontaneous popular reaction against Zionism, British Imperialism, and the entrenched Arab leadership” Minor, violent incidents  mass demonstrations and mob attacks Arab resistance committees declared general strike in April – Demands: Restrictions on immigration and land sales Establishment of democratic government

Arab leaders The Arab Higher Committee formed as a response to the strike – Under leadership of the mufti (Hajj Amin) – Attempt to unite the Arab population  Multi- religious, multi-factional Limited influence: unpopular, unrepresentative, little initiative The strike was terminated by the Arab Higher Committee in October, after 1000 Arabs and 80 Jews had died

The Peel Commission 1937 Palestine to be partitioned Neither party satisfied  Arabs refused to give up any land  Zionist leaders wanted a larger territory New Arab uprising 1Hm0o&list=PLeY- swXJmAX77G4c702ncGLbFcvXN4brg&index=14

The Great Revolt Spontaneous and locally led High-ranking British officer killed in October  The Arab Higher Committee dissolved  Arab leaders arrested and deported Arab guerrilla fighting; sabotage, attacks on British installations and Jewish settlers – Supported by population  gained control of much of Palestine by summer 1938

What type of revolt? Anti-British and anti-Zionist Elements of peasant social revolution against established notability 1Hm0o&list=PLeY- swXJmAX77G4c702ncGLbFcvXN4brg&index= Hm0o&list=PLeY- swXJmAX77G4c702ncGLbFcvXN4brg&index=1 4

British reaction more troops into Palestine Jewish forces Collective punishment of Arab villages, neighborhoods, families Order restored by March 1939 – 3000 Arabs, 2000 Jews and 600 British killed – Broken economy – Arab leaders under arrest or in exile

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The White Paper of Hvk British Palestine policy reconsidered – Feb 1939: Anglo-Arab-Jewish conference in London  failure – White Paper of 1939: Limitation of Jewish immigration to Palestine – The Arabs considered is as “a victory of sorts”

WW2 Ben-Gurion: “ We shall fight with Great Britain in this war as if there was no White Paper, and we shall fight the White Paper as if there was no war.”