Political Parties in Palestine before Nakba: Supplementing Volume II, Chapter XXIII, Pages 945-962, British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Supplement - Page 137

POLITICAL PARTIES.

Supplementing Vol. II, Chapter XXIII, pages 945-962.

THE ARAB POLITICAL PARTIES.

(p. 945)

In general, Palestine Arab political parties do not conform with the pattern which political parties follow in the western democracies. One exception to this statement exists in the form of the Arab League of National Liberation which follows western models in having a distinctive programme and ideology. This organisation and the labour organisations are acquiring increasing importance in Arab political life.

(p. 947)

(§ 12)

With the suspension of Arab political activity following the 1936-1939 disturbances and the outbreak of the war, the Arab political parties described in pages 94 7 to 950 of the Survey of Palestine ceased to be active. The subsequent revival of political activity from 1942 has not led to a revival of the parties with the exception of the Palestine Arab Party, which, owing to its close association with leading members of successive Arab Higher Committees, is still a factor of importance.

The Palestine Arab Party has affiliated to it the Youth Movement "Futuwah". -

(p. 949)

The formation of the Arab Reform Party was started by Dr.

Hussein Fakbri el Khalidi shortly before his election as Mayor of Jerusalem in 1934. Since his return from the Seychelles, to which he was deported in 1937, he has been a member of the second Arab Higher Committee and is Secretary of the present fourth Committee.

(p. 950) (§ 15)

On the 1st October, 1937, the first Arab Higher Committee was declared unlawful. Warrants were issued for the arrest of five of its members, of whom four were arrested and deported to the Seychelles. The fifth, Jamal Eff. el Husseini escaped to the Lebanon. Haj Amin el Husseini also fled to the Lebanon shortly afterwards, while Abdul Latif Bey Salah was outside Palestine at the time.

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