NCJ Number
111834
Date Published
1988
Length
19 pages
Annotation
The development of Palestinian Nationalism can be divided into four stages that correspond to the widening of conflict and its changing appearances.
Abstract
Palestinian nationalism was first generated as a separate political element in reaction to the British mandate and the Zionist immigration. Under the leadership of Amin el Husseini, this stage was characterized by a series of riots and armed clashes, climaxing in the Arab rebellion of 1936-1939, which changed the conflict from a local affair to an all-Arab concern of international dimensions. The period 1939 to 1949 involved Mufti machinations. Attempts to change the courses of the mandate by rallying pan-Arab support were followed by alliances with nonregional powers (Italy and Germany). Inability to reach a negotiated compromise solution to the Palestinian problem led to the polarization of Arab political movements ranging from fundamentalist Islam to Nasserism. Those paramilitary groups which existed were closely linked to Syria or Egypt and served as pawns in the inter-Arab power struggle. The power vacuum following the crushing defeat in the 1967 Six Days War permitted the rise of a new set of paramilitary groups, the Fedayeen, who, under the leadership of Al Fatah took over the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which became the new vehicle of Palestinian nationalism. Historically and currently, factionalism and internal strife have been an integral part of Palestinian nationalism and have prevented progress in establishing an independent Palestinian state. 27 footnotes.