"Government documents, newspaper accounts, and personal letters in five languages from the Turkish state archives provide new and fascinating insights into dramatic events that took place in Palestine just before the outbreak of World War I.
1913 Palestine is a multi-lingual, multi-cultural society. Muslims, Jews and Christians coexist in relative harmony and often gather together in the coffeehouses of Jerusalem. It is a time before Jerusalem’s Old City is segregated into separate ‘quarters’ for various groups. But after European Jewish migrants arrive, Ruhi al-Khalidi, Jerusalem’s representative to the Ottoman Parliament in
Istanbul, voices growing concerns about what he sees as their secret agenda to build a state. So does Albert Antebi, an Arab-speaking Sephardic Jew known as the Jewish “pasha,” who embraces economic and cultural Zionism, but fears the consequences of a Zionist land grab.
Meanwhile, Arthur Ruppin arrives from Germany to be the Zionist’s land agent and Khalil Sakakini returns from a trip to America filled with pride and optimism of a new Palestinian Arab identity. In 1913, growing tensions erupt into violence in the vineyard just outside Rehovot, leaving an Arab and Jew dead, and sowing the seeds for a century of conflict." NEH
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I watched this last night and recommend it. It makes a nice companion piece for the book "A Peace To End All Peace" by David Fromkin. pl
In case you haven't see it, another great piece about Palestine, a mini-series about British...
"The Promise", a British television serial in four episodes written and directed by Peter Kosminsky.
Thanx, Kim
P.S. You may have been totally correct in focusing on the next event from the Middle East as the catalyst for war...
from Debka: The Turkish and Jordanian armies were reported on June 30 to be getting ready to cross into Syria for the first time since war engulfed that country in 2011, and set up security buffer zones...
These preparations prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to pledge his support for the Assad regime.
Posted by: Kim Sky | 01 July 2015 at 11:52 AM
Kim Sky,
Putin, together with China, Iran and maybe others will have to make that support very massive very soon to keep up with efforts from KSA and the Gulfies, ISIS, the Erdogists, etc. to destroy the Syrian Arab Republic before Assad's supporters can get there with with enough massive aid to destroy the anti-Assadists' massive efforts. (Unless Putin et al are already doing enough to work and I just don't know it).
Posted by: different clue | 01 July 2015 at 03:01 PM
AFAIK, any Turkish response will be to counter the Kurdish expansion in Syria-and probably will not target the Syrian Arab Army. There may be a few repercussions, local and global.
Ishmael Zechariah
Posted by: Ishmael Zechariah | 01 July 2015 at 05:33 PM
Probably time I stated more clearly that not just guilt and shame from failure to stop the largely successful HOLOCAUST caused US and others to support emigration to Israel and establishment of that State post WWII.
Like King Richard to his men asking "who will rid me of that troublesome Priest [Becket]" many masked their desire to be rid of surviving JEWS by their departure for ISRAEL.
And now few in the USA leadership or polity are willing to clearly announce that in reality the USA is now fully responsible for the STATE OF ISRAEL and its citizens and residents.
The USA ACTS MORE LIKE PONTIUS PILATE IMO than recognizing that ISRAEL is an American Protectorate in the fullest sense.
The implications of this pc masking of the truth are enormous and can only hope not APACOLYPTIC [sic]!
Posted by: William R. Cumming | 02 July 2015 at 07:29 AM
Good film, absolutely no doubt.
Reminded me partly of a very, very fascinating book by Gil Eyal.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Disenchantment-Orient-Expertise-Affairs/dp/0804754039
Maybe especially Chapter II:
http://tinyurl.com/Underneath-the-Arab-Mask
Posted by: LeaNder | 02 July 2015 at 08:28 AM
Ok, that link doesn't work.
Try this:
http://tinyurl.com/beneath-the-Arab-Mask
Page 33, Chapter II, The Jew underneath the Arab's Mask: The Experience of the Orient in the Promised Land.
Posted by: LeaNder | 02 July 2015 at 09:12 AM
LeaNder is correct, imo. "1913-Seeds of Conflict" is riveting and well worth watching. History is blood soaked with tragedy.
For what it is worth, I highly recommend it. Glad PBS aired this documentary and thanks to Col. Lang for sharing it.
Posted by: Sidney O. Smith III | 02 July 2015 at 10:09 AM
WRC
Henry II, not Richard. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 02 July 2015 at 10:36 AM
Thanks P.L.! You are correct. And Henry had a hard end?
Posted by: William R. Cumming | 02 July 2015 at 11:08 AM
Fromkins book is great. I also recommend The Gun and the Olive Branch by Hirst (?Hirsch).
RC
Posted by: Robert C | 02 July 2015 at 11:19 AM
WRC--
That wasn't King Richard. It was King Henry II.
Posted by: cville reader | 02 July 2015 at 11:54 AM
hard end came later - the old sharper-than-a-serpent's-tooth problem - compounded by the hell-hath-no-fury phenomenon.
Posted by: rjj | 02 July 2015 at 03:01 PM
Ishmael Zechariah,
In what sense do the Kurdish militia operations in farthest northern Syria constitute a Kurdish expansion? Are the Kurdish militias going beyond and outside the borders of the Kurdish ethnic areas of Syria? If so, where?
If not, then where is the "expansion"?
Posted by: different clue | 02 July 2015 at 09:21 PM
Agreed, watched it last week and was taken with the history of mountain vs valley and littoral inhabitants and land ownership.
Posted by: Charles I | 04 July 2015 at 01:30 PM