Radicalization of Arab Workers The years of economic prosperity came to an end in 1935, leading to rising unemployment and social discontent. Shanty towns sprang up around Haifa and Jaffa, inhabited by thousands of destitute migrants from the countryside. In the midst of the economic crisis, the Zionist labor organizations escalated the Hebrew labor campaign, and this escalation provoked vigorous and militant response from the Arab labor organizations, chief among them Arab Workers’ Society. The members of Arab Workers’ Society adopted Zionists’ tactics: unemployed Arab workers began picketing work sites where Hebrew labor prevailed. This inevitably led to clashes.

Peasantry By the early 1930s, the economic distress of peasantry was increasing. Their debts to urban-based Arab landowners and moneylenders were growing frightfully fast, and some Arab landowners, who were also members of the Arab political leadership, began to evict their Arab tenants and sold their land to Jewish settlers. Land disputes between Arab peasants and Zionist settlers increased.

New Political Leaders Economic and political tensions alienated peasantry and workers from the moderate political leadership and led to the rise of more radical political leaders, such as Izz al-Din al-Qassam. In November 1935 he led a band of followers to the hills near Jenin. They planned to begin guerilla warfare against the British and inspire a peasant uprising. However, within a week, the British forces discovered and attacked the group, killing al-Qassam in the combat. His movement was the harbinger of the Arab revolt of 1936-1939.

The Arab Revolt, 1936-1939 In April 1936, nationalist committees comprising al-Qassam’s followers and other radical forces proclaimed a general strike. Taken by surprise, the elite politicians tried to catch up with popular energy by endorsing the strike call and forming a new Arab Higher Committee. Arab workers who had previously cooperated with the Histadrut participated actively in the strike. Moreover, peasant guerilla bands began operating in the Galilee and the hill country of what is today called the West Bank in May. The general strike ended in October 1936 after moderate nationalist Arab leaders promised to intercede with Great Britain who has declared she will do justice.

The Second Round As the British proposed a plan to partition Palestine and banned one of the most important nationalist organizations Arab Higher Committee, peasants in the hill country resumed armed struggle in the fall of 1937. In this phase, in addition to its anti-British and anti-Zionist, the revolt had a strong anti-landlord and anti-elite character. Peasant rebels imposed a moratorium on all debts, attacked landowners, intimidated land brokers and seized the property of wealthy urbanites who had fled Many prominent Arabs left Palestine because of the acts of violence and intimidation.

The End… The Arab revolt was suppressed by the combined force of some 25,000 British soldiers, 3,000 Jewish “Colony Police”, and special night squads comprising labor Zionist militia. The general strike allowed Hebrew labor to enter sectors of the economy previously dominated by Arabs. With the banning of the Arab Higher Committee by mandate authorities, the elite nationalist leadership was defeated and disoriented. Finally, the special night squads became the core of the future elite unit of the Zionist armed forces. These development prepared the way for the Zionist victory in 1948.