History Off the Page

This episode continues our discussion of the Nakba and the Israeli War of Independence, covering the initial phases of the civil war between Jews and Arabs in Palestine from November 1947 to March 1948. The episode highlights the ways in which sporadic acts of violence in the wake of the passage of the UN partition resolution created an inertia towards civil war, while also evaluating some of the strengths and weaknesses of both sides in the conflict. We'll also discuss some of the early massacres in the war, and learn how the notion of "retaliation" increasingly pushed the boundaries of what was thought of as acceptable acts of violence.

Jump links:

Intro (1:49)

A failed transfer of power (2:38)

Start of civil war (16:50)

Strength of the two sides (30:02)

Jewish operations and Balad al-Sheik (47:47)

Palestinian operations (1:04:48)

conclusion (1:09:01)

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In this episode we begin our discussion of the Nakba and the Israeli War of Independence - twin events that lie at the heart of so many of the political dynamics of the region today. On the one hand, 1948 marked the realization of the Zionist dream with the foundation of the first Jewish state in two millennia, marking an end to the cycle of Jewish oppression and refugee status. On the other hand, it also marked the shattering of Palestinian Arab society, including not only defeat in war, but also ethnic cleansing and the expulsion of some 700K-800K Palestinians from their homes. As we note in the episode, these are two sides of the same coin, and understanding how and why they happened is critical to resolving this long lasting crisis.

This episode covers the period from Feb 1947 to the UN partition vote on Nov. 29, 1947.

jump links:

Intro (1:32)

on ethnic cleansing (9:40)

importance of context (16:40)

the ethnic cleansing of MENA (25:55)

consequences of the Nakba (32:29)

a story of liberation (37:54)

the partition (41:06)

Jewish and Arab reactions (58:25)

global reactions (1:05:25)

conclusion (1:09:58)

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After a period of relative calm during World War II, the need to resettle Jewish survivors from the Holocaust once more inflamed tensions in Palestine - this time between Britain and the Zionists. In this episode we discusses the causes of the revolt, the Jewish insurgency, advances and failures in the Palestinian nationalist movement and the effect of the nascent Cold War on the conflict.

Jump links:

Intro (0:51)

The historical context (2:01)

The refugee crisis (9:38)

Palestinian national growth (22:48)

The Jewish Revolt (42:04)

The Exodus '47 (1:02:56)

The Cold War context (1:10:14)

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In this episode we explore the history of the region during the Second World War. On the one hand, this moment represented something of a pause in tensions between the British, Zionists and Arabs, as the three sides worked together to fend of the Axis threat. On the other, however, Nazi anti-Jewish propaganda, amplified by local collaborators such as Hajj Amin, spoke openly of genocide, poisoning relations between Jews and Arabs. As the Holocaust unfolded in Europe, British efforts to restrict Jewish immigration led many moderate Zionists to conclude that Jewish independence was the only path forward. 

Jump links: 

Intro (1:42)

Background to World War II (12:02)

World War II in the Middle East (19:56)

Arab perceptions of World War II (26:53)

Hajj Amin and ‘kill the Jews’ (44:08)

Zionist perceptions of World II (1:07:19)

Radical Zionists turns to terrorism (1:17:19)

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In this episode we explore the history of the Arab Revolt (1936-39), the first attempt to solve the political crisis in Palestine through armed, organized violence. As we'll see, the revolt proved to be a massive failure, badly damaging the Palestinian national cause. Topics covered in the episode include the story of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam - the intellectual founder of Hamas, Nazi efforts to spread anti-Judaism in the Middle East, tactical and strategic discussion about (Arab) insurgency and (British) pacification efforts, and the hidden Palestinian civil war. 

To jump to a particular topic click on the following links: Intro (0:50); Background (12:17); The Nazi role in the Revolt (15:48); Al-Qassam and Origins of ‘Armed Resistance’ (29:32); Part I: the General Strike (39:13);

Intermission: the Peel Commission (58:07);

Part II: Insurgency and Pacification (1:07:43);

Part III: the Revolt as Palestinian Civil War (1:23:39);

The Jewish Role in the Revolt/Night Squads (1:33:51);

The End of the Revolt (1:43:50).

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In this episode of our series on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict we examine the period of the British Mandate, essentially the moment when the split between the Jewish and Arab communities of Palestine began to become more permanent.  On the one hand, increased Jewish migration combined with the development of Jewish institutions like the Histradrut (labor union) and Haganah (defense organization) provided the basis for an independent Jewish state - eventually Israel.  On the other hand, Arab economic growth and political development made the case for accepting Jewish refugees less persuasive.  Further driving the two sides apart were periodic episodes of violence such as the Nebi Musa riots (1920) and the Waling Wall riots (1929).  In the end, these moments of violence and the general political inertia proved stronger than any of the attempts to bind the communities together in a single state.  
 
 Topics covered in the episode (with jump links) include:
 Intro (0:50); the Peace Process in Palestine (8:46); Complexities of Palestinian politics (14:11); emergence of Palestinian society (30:30); the 3rd and 4th Aliyot (37:53); emergence of a Jewish statelet (40:30); the League of Nations' Mandate (47:01); the Haganah (55:25); the Irgun, Etzel and Lechi; the Histradrut (1:15:20); missed chances (1:20:21); violence (1:25:32)

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This episode explores the history of Israel/Palestine during the First World War - a time when divisions between the local Jewish and Arab communities began to harden. On the one hand, both peoples suffered under the strain of the war and repression under the Ottoman governor Jamaal Pasha. On the other hand, the war brought together Zionist and British policy goals, culminating in official British support for a Jewish national homeland in Palestine (the Balfour declaration). 

Specific topics covered include (click on the number to jump to that section):

Intro (0:50); Start of the war (1:59); Hussein of Mecca and the Arab Revolt (8:35); Chaim Weizmann and the Balfour Declaration (17:11); effect of the war on the local population (30:40); The Jewish Legion (50:56); consequences of the war for identity (1:04:16); postscript: Faisal, Greater Syria, and the origins of Jordan and Saudi Arabia (1:07:20); conclusion (1:116:19)

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In this second episode, we start to explore the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, starting with the initial wave of large-scale Jewish migrations in the early 1880s. The episode highlights the complexity of identities in the region, including the multi-faced relationships between Ottoman, Arab, Palestinian and Jewish/Muslim/ Christian belonging. We'll explore the critical role played by the Ottoman Empire in the story, including the passage of the 1858 Land Reform Act that lies at the heart of the conflict over the land. In the end, we'll see how the current friction between the two groups was not inevitable, but how historical forces set the two peoples of separate paths of national development in the years before World War I.

To jump to a specific section:

Intro (0:50); Ottoman Palestine and Identity (5:28); Origins of Zionism (36:30); Origins of Palestinian National Identity (52:39); Palestine in the 1880s (1:10:33); The First Aliyah (1:17:41); The Second Aliyah (1:26:31); the Kibbutz (1:40:20); modern Hebrew (1:42:00); Arab perceptions of Zionism (1:47:25); violence and the Jewish response (1:54:16); conclusion (2:06:26)

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For more information on History Off the Page, check out our website www.historyoffthepage.com!   Or you can support the  show via Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/historyoffthepage?fan_landing=true.

In this episode, the first of several on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we reflect on some of the dominant narratives being used to understand the current crisis in Israel/Palestine.  Topics include the complicated nature of politics and identity in the region, flaws in both the decolonization and anti-Semitism narratives, the lack of Palestinian agency and failures of Palestinian leadership, problems with Wilsonian notions of national rights to territory and much more. 

The perils of selective historical narratives (4:42)
Complications of the conflict: other actors in the story (9:30)
Varieties of Palestinian experience, politics and identity (16:43)
Varieties of Israeli politics and identity (28:28)
Problems with the anti-colonial narrative (37:32)
A refugee story?  (1:02:28) 
Problems with the anti-Semitism/"Jew-hatred" narrative (1:07:43)
The lack of Palestinian agency (1:18:15)
Failures of Palestinian leadership (1:22:14)
Dehumanization and social theory (1:31:02)
Problems with Wilsonian notions of national territory (1:37:57)
Israeli and Palestinian history: a mirror image? (1:45:22)

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A brief discussion of books to help you understand the causes of the current crisis in Ukraine.  Topics covered include: Intro & significance of the topic (0:50); Honorable mentions: Timothy Snyder (8:58); Anne Applebaum (15:02); #1 Ukraine and Russia: From Civilized Divorce to Uncivil War (17:39); #2 Gates of Europe: a History of Ukraine (24:16); #3 The Man Without a Face: the Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin (30:32).  

To find links to these books and more check out our blog: https://historyoffthepage.com/3_books_ukraine/  and/or check out other episodes in our series on Modern European History including episodes on the causes of the war and the Soviet Union.

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For more information on History Off the Page, check out our website www.historyoffthepage.com!   Or you can support the  show via Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/historyoffthepage?fan_landing=true.