Book Review: The Politics of Palestinian Nationalism

Justin Dalrymple

Jewish/Muslim/Christian Relations

Professor Judith Rood

Book Review #2

Word Count: 828

The Politics of Palestinian Nationalism

The Politics of Palestinian Nationalism presents the many differing ideologies and claims of many Palestinian political parties and how Arab nationalism, and/or Palestinian nationalism effect their views and aspirations. The book also gives a history of Palestinian nationalism and how specific events in history have affected it and what these changes in Palestinian nationalism led to. The book is broken up into three parts. Part I is “The Palestine Arab Nationalist Movement Under the Mandate.” Part II is “Political and Military Dimensions of Contemporary Palestinian Nationalism.” And, Part III is “The Palestinian Resistance and Inter-Arab Politics.”

The thesis of Part I is as follows: “‘The Palestine Arab Nationalist Movement Under the Mandate,’ concentrates on these early years of Palestinian nationalism, tracing the development of political style from petition to protest and then to full-scale rebellion” (2). The early Palestinian nationalist movement under the mandate was a direct reaction against Zionism and British Imperialism. These reactions began as peaceful. However, violence broke out over a dispute over the Western Wall of Jerusalem, which was owned by the Muslims and is sacred in Islam and Judaism. Things quickly got out of hand, and soon each group, Muslims and Jews, began doing things to offend the other. An Arab rebellion ensued and culminated in an uprising from 1936-1939. The revolt escalated and climaxed in 1938, but soon began to die down:

It was largely the publication of the Woodhead Partition Commission report in November 1938, which found the various partition plans technically infeasible, and the British government’s accompanying announcement that would reassess the whole political situation at a Round Table Conference in London, that made the revolt begin to lose its momentum. (38-39)

The result of the conference was a white paper issued by Britain that would create an independent Palestinian state within 10 years. Ultimately, however, this was turned down by Palestinian leader Hajj Amin because “it explicitly forbade his returning to Palestine; anyone who publicly accepted the paper would have, in effect, publicly rejected his leadership” (40).

Part II is titled, “Political and Military Dimensions of Contemporary Palestinian Nationalism.” In the 1940’s “Palestine had become an Arab problem” (49). At the heart of inter-Arab politics of the 1940’s, Palestine was central to the discussions. Gaza was sheltered by Egypt under Nasser, while the West Bank was protected by the Hashemite regime of Jordan. However, “The Arab defeat in the war with Israel in June 1967 accelerated the development free from the control of Arab governments” (50). These ideas lead to Part III, “The Palestinian Resistance and Inter-Arab Politics.”

Prior to the 1967 War, nationalists began to realize the need to not be dependent so much upon their Arab neighbors for resistance. Instead, Palestinians would have to take things into their own hands. Opposition to Zionism and the influx of immigrants would now have to come from the Palestinians themselves:

From 1961 onwards, there arose among some Palestinians the distinct conviction that the Arab governments, if left to themselves, could not be relied on to bring about the desired confrontation with Israel in the foreseeable future, if ever, and it was therefore the responsibility of Palestinians to take the lead in seeking a redress of their grievances. 157

As a result of Palestinian self-reliance, the Fedayeen rose and became the popular means of resistance. Paving the way for the utilization of guerrilla warfare was Fatah:

Fatah’s most notable accomplishment in perspective was that it laid the groundwork for the resurgence of the Restistance movement as a principal contestant in the aftermath of the June defeat. This it did by introducing and gradually asserting among the Palestinians the conception of guerrilla warfare as a viable alternative to action within the traditional framework of Arab political institutions, for the sterility of which the PLO stood as a prime example. 175

The defeat of the Arab nations in June of 1967 proved to be the needed validation of these ideas. The defeat of the Arab nations caused serious blows to the current ideologies. It caused Palestinian nationalists to reevaluate their ideas of reliance upon surrounding Arab regimes for their freedom.

In conclusion, Part I focuses upon Palestinian Nationalism at the time of the British mandate period. Palestinian nationalism and its corresponding actions in this period were a direct reaction against Zionism and British Imperialism. Part II, “Political and Military Dimensions of Contemporary Palestinian Nationalism,” shows how in the 1940’s Palestine became a central topic in inter-Arab politics. And then, Palestinian nationalism eclipsed in 1967 with the defeat of the Arab nations in the 1967 war. As a result of the defeat Palestinians began to realize that they cannot lean upon Arab nations to fulfill their visions of independence. Part III, “The Palestinian Resistance and Inter-Arab Politics,” reveals the rise of the fedayeen as a result of the Palestinian people taking matters into their own hands.