The Holocaust's Effect on Tension in Palestine

Picture of Adolf Hitler meeting with Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini
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The Holocaust obviously stands as one of the darkest chapters in the history of Jewish culture, marking the genocide of millions of Jews by the Nazi regime. While the holocaust primarily took place in Europe, its effects were felt worldwide, including the Middle East. Specifically,  in Palestine, which already was undergoing much tension and infighting even before WW2, the Holocaust played a significant role in shaping the progression of Arab and Jewish relations for years to come. 

Following years of British rule, and policy that stirred the cultural dynamic between Arabs and Jews, such as the Balfour declaration, Palestine was already culturally divided and fragile. After Hitler’s rise to power in the early 1930s and the subsequent passing of starkly anti-semitic policy, many Jews in Europe began to feel the pressure of the Nazi party. As a result, the desire for a safe homeland grew drastically within the Jewish culture. While the religious arguments for a Jewish homeland in Jerusalem and Palestine had been present during the early 20th century, and led to much of the tension between Arabs and Jews of the time; the argument had never been truly urgent. Until now, there was no looming threat against the Jewish people that demanded they had a safe homeland. With this newfound threat, the Palestinian complaint that Jews were attempting to immigrate and invade their ancient homeland suddenly became much more severe. Jews from all across Europe were attempting to immigrate and settle on Palestinian land to avoid persecution, leading to even more increased tension between the Arab and Jewish communities. 

Additionally, the Holocaust granted the Jewish community sympathy all across the world. Specifically, however, it granted them sympathy within the British government overruling them. In addition to the Jewish communities compliability with the British government, something that Arab leaders were less fond of, this sympathy resulted in an increased support for the Jewish community within politics, leading to an increased push for Jewish immigration, land holding and political influence. As a result, Arab leaders viewed Jews as a larger threat to their demographic and political aspirations. The holocaust also damaged the Arab communities’ image within world politics because of their association with the Nazi regime due to their Grand Mufti befriending Hitler, something that wasn’t representative of the entire Palestinian communities. These factors intensified existing tensions and radicalized many Arabs and Jews as both communities fought for control and sovereignty over Palestine.

Works Cited

Armstrong, Karen. Jerusalem : One City, Three Faiths. London, Harper Perennial, 2005.