Analyze the major causes of instability in Palestine from 1917 to 1939
Analyze the major causes of instability in Palestine from 1917-1939
The first noticeable signs of tensions between Arabs and Jews in Palestine can be observed at the dawn of the 1920s, following the First World War. In the 1920s and the 1930s, clashes between both religious groups became more and more imminent, but they were nothing but the short term causes of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Rather, the long term and roots of this conflict can be found in the late 19th century, when rising anti-Semitism caused the growth of Zionism, which conflicted with the rise of Arab Nationalism. Furthermore, the First World War and the British Mandate had a very important impact on shaping the conflict, especially through the way the British dealt with the situation in Palestine, and the dynamic between Jews and Arabs.
The Jewish claim to Palestine dates back to biblical times. The Old Testament, and particularly Genesis, recounts how God promised the Land of Israel to Abraham and his descendants. The Jew believed that an all-mighty deity had promised it to them, meaning that no one could dare go against their claim. Conflict between both religious groups continued throughout time, such as Islam’s prophet Muhammad’s encounter with the Jews of Medina. However, the most recent roots of the conflict can be found in the late 19th century. Following the Dreyfus Affair in France, when a Jewish general was made a scapegoat due to his religion, Austrian Jew Theodor Herzl realized how deep-rooted anti-Semitism was in Europe, and could only think of the founding of a Jewish homeland as the solution. His book, “The Jewish State”, published in 1896, advocated independent statehood. He pushed for the reunification of all Jews of the Diaspora in one same country, since “assimilation […] was neither desirable nor was it deemed to be possible; anti-Semitism could only be overcome by physical separation form Europe and by self-determination; and religious and cultural ties to the
The first noticeable signs of tensions between Arabs and Jews in Palestine can be observed at the dawn of the 1920s, following the First World War. In the 1920s and the 1930s, clashes between both religious groups became more and more imminent, but they were nothing but the short term causes of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Rather, the long term and roots of this conflict can be found in the late 19th century, when rising anti-Semitism caused the growth of Zionism, which conflicted with the rise of Arab Nationalism. Furthermore, the First World War and the British Mandate had a very important impact on shaping the conflict, especially through the way the British dealt with the situation in Palestine, and the dynamic between Jews and Arabs.
The Jewish claim to Palestine dates back to biblical times. The Old Testament, and particularly Genesis, recounts how God promised the Land of Israel to Abraham and his descendants. The Jew believed that an all-mighty deity had promised it to them, meaning that no one could dare go against their claim. Conflict between both religious groups continued throughout time, such as Islam’s prophet Muhammad’s encounter with the Jews of Medina. However, the most recent roots of the conflict can be found in the late 19th century. Following the Dreyfus Affair in France, when a Jewish general was made a scapegoat due to his religion, Austrian Jew Theodor Herzl realized how deep-rooted anti-Semitism was in Europe, and could only think of the founding of a Jewish homeland as the solution. His book, “The Jewish State”, published in 1896, advocated independent statehood. He pushed for the reunification of all Jews of the Diaspora in one same country, since “assimilation […] was neither desirable nor was it deemed to be possible; anti-Semitism could only be overcome by physical separation form Europe and by self-determination; and religious and cultural ties to the
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