Palestine Arab Congress facts for kids

The Palestine Arab Congress was a series of important meetings held by the Arab people living in Palestine during the time it was controlled by the British. These meetings were organized by groups called Muslim-Christian Associations across the country.

Between 1919 and 1928, seven congresses (large meetings) took place in cities like Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, and Nablus. Even though many people supported these meetings, the British government never officially recognized their leaders. The British had taken control of Palestine after defeating the Ottoman forces in 1918. The Palestine Arab Congress and its organizers were formed because the Arab population wanted to oppose some of the British policies.

First Congress: Jerusalem, 1919

First Palestine Arab Congress resolution from 1919, sent to the Paris Peace Conference.

The first Palestine Arab Congress met from January 27 to February 10, 1919. This meeting was a response to Jewish immigrants settling in the area before the war. Twenty-seven representatives from Muslim-Christian societies across Palestine attended.

Aref al-Dajani, who led the Jerusalem Muslim-Christian Society, was the president of this congress. Other important people there included Izzat Darwaza and Yousef El-Issa, who was the editor of the Falastin newspaper. Most of the delegates were wealthy landowners. They were split between those who supported the British and those who wanted a larger Arab union.

The congress sent a message to the Paris Peace Conference. They asked for the Balfour Declaration to be cancelled. They also wanted Palestine to be part of an "independent Arab Government of Syria" within a larger Arab Union, without any foreign control.

The delegates did not agree with political Zionism. They said they would accept help from Britain only if it did not affect Arab control in the region. They imagined Palestine as part of an independent Syrian state, led by Faisal from the Hashemite family.

The main decisions made at this congress were:

• Palestine is part of Arab Syria and has always been connected to it.
• They rejected any French claims to the area.
• They wanted their region, Southern Syria or Palestine, to be part of the Independent Arab Syrian Government. It should be free from all foreign influence.
• All foreign agreements about the area were considered invalid.
• They wanted to stay friends with Britain and its allies. They would accept help if it did not harm Palestine's independence or Arab unity.

The congress decided to send a group to Damascus. These representatives attended the Syrian National Congress on June 8, 1919. Their goal was to tell other Arab patriots that Palestine was considered Southern Syria and should unite with Northern Syria. Three members were also chosen to go to the Peace Conference in Paris. The congress did not elect a permanent leadership committee but agreed to meet again in three months.

Second Congress: Damascus, 1920

The British authorities had banned all Arab political meetings. This prevented the congress from gathering in Palestine on May 15, 1920, after the San Remo conference. Some of the people who were supposed to attend sent a letter to the Syrian National Congress. They explained their position and asked for a Palestinian group to be formed from Palestinians already in Damascus. This group would then travel to Europe to present the Palestinian case.

According to some records, delegates met earlier in Damascus on February 27, 1920. Many Palestinians had already gathered in Damascus for the Syrian National Congress. They organized themselves into the 'Palestinian Congress'. They wanted an independent Palestine within a united Syrian state. They also spoke out against Zionism and demanded an end to Jewish immigration.

On May 31, Palestinian people living in Damascus met at the Arab Club. They decided to form 'The Palestinian Arab Society'. Key leaders of this society included Haj Amin al-Husseini, Izzat Darwaza, and ‘Aref al-‘Aref. The society protested against the San Remo Conference's decision to give Britain control over Palestine. They also protested against the appointment of Samuel as High Commissioner. They asked for support from Muslims in India and the Pope, warning them about the "Jewish danger" in Palestine.

Some sources say the second congress was held secretly in Palestine on May 31, 1920. This was because British military authorities had banned all Arab political gatherings. A statement was released calling for the return of all exiled political figures. It also protested against the San Remo Conference's decision to include the words of the Balfour Declaration in the British mandate over Palestine. It is not fully clear if these are the same events, as some names mentioned are linked to Damascus, not Palestine.

Third Congress: Haifa, 1920

Third Congress delegates in Haifa.

The third congress began on December 4, 1920. Thirty-six delegates attended, including Pasha Aref Dajani, who was the Mayor of Jerusalem in 1918. Other notable attendees were Sheik Suleiman al-Taji Al-Faruqi and Bullus Shehadeh, the head of the Catholic community. Haifa's mufti, Muhammad Murad, opened the congress.

Musa al-Husayni, who had recently been removed as Mayor of Jerusalem, was chosen as president and chairman of the nine-member executive committee. He held this position until his death in 1934. The congress made several key decisions:

• They called for Palestine to be part of the independent Arab state promised in the McMahon–Hussein Correspondence. While calls for immediate unity with Syria were dropped, they did not rule out unity between Palestine and Syria in the future.
• They strongly condemned the idea of a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine.
• They asked the British to create a "national government" that would answer to a representative assembly. Members of this assembly would be chosen from the Arabic-speaking people who lived in Palestine before the war. This did not explicitly reject British presence. The plan was similar to the Mandate of Iraq, with a parliament elected by one-person-one-vote, but still under overall British control.
• They objected to the World Zionist Organization being recognized as an official body. They also opposed the use of Hebrew as an official language.
• They were against Jewish immigration.
• They declared the British administration illegal. This was because the League of Nations had not yet decided on the status of the territory.

Some delegates, like Issa El-Issa, felt that the congress was not strong enough in its demands. After the congress, the executive committee met with British High Commissioner Herbert Samuel. He insisted that they accept British policy on the Jewish national homeland if they wanted official recognition. The British believed the congress did not truly represent the people. This led to a big campaign by the Muslim-Christian Associations to raise public awareness.

In March 1921, Musa Kazem led a group from the executive committee to meet with British Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill. Churchill had called a conference in Cairo to decide British policy in the Middle East. Churchill agreed to meet the delegation but refused to discuss any issues until after the conference. On his way back to London, he met with members of the executive committee in Jerusalem on March 28, 1921. He told them they had to accept the Balfour Declaration as a fixed part of British policy.

Fourth Congress: Jerusalem, 1921

Delegates at the Fourth Congress.

The fourth congress took place on June 25, 1921. About 100 delegates attended. They voted to send a six-man group, led by Musa Kazim, to London. The delegates arrived in London in September and met with Winston Churchill, the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

On their journey, they also met Pope Benedict XV in Vatican City. They tried to meet with delegates to the League of Nations in Geneva. In response to the congress, High Commissioner Herbert Samuel promised that the British would "never impose a policy contrary to their religions, their political and their economic interests."

Fifth Congress: Nablus, 1922

Delegates at the Fifth Congress.

The fifth congress started on August 22, 1922, after the London delegation returned. Its leader, Musa Kazem, was against strong anti-British protests and discouraged violence. He reported that there were still chances for progress through talks.

The following decisions were made:

• They rejected the new constitution.
• They decided to boycott elections for the proposed Legislative Council.
• They planned to set up an office in London.
• They decided to boycott Jewish goods, including Pinhas Rutenberg's planned electricity supply.
• They forbade the sale of land to Jews.
• They forbade Jewish immigration.
• They promised to oppose the creation of a Jewish national homeland.

Before the congress, its executive committee started a fundraising campaign. This was to support a general strike held on July 13–14, 1922. Money was raised by selling "National Movement" stamps. These stamps cost one, two, and five millims. The stamps showed the Dome of the Rock and had the words "Palestine for the Arabs" in English and Arabic.

Sixth Congress: Jaffa, 1923

Delegates at the Sixth Congress.

Held from June 16 to 20, 1923, this congress was led by Musa Kazim. The delegates agreed to send another group to London. They decided against more radical actions that some had suggested. A plan to refuse to pay taxes, arguing "no taxation without representation," was discussed but no decision was made.

Twenty-four resolutions were passed. These included boycotts of Pinhas Rutenberg's Palestine Electricity Corporation and Jewish goods. In October, the more radical National Party was formed. This party opposed the Muslim-Christian Associations and the executive committee. The Congress also supported the Arab Orthodox Movement. It saw the struggle between Arab Orthodox people and the Greek-led Jerusalem Orthodox Patriarchate as part of a larger nationalist movement.

Seventh Congress: Jerusalem, 1928

The seventh congress was held on June 20, 1928. It formed a temporary united front with Musa Kazim as president. A 48-member executive committee was chosen. This committee then selected a smaller administrative team. They decided to send a fourth delegation to London. This delegation left on March 21, 1930, after the Shaw Commission report on the 1929 riots was published.

General Islamic Congress: Jerusalem, 1931

A General Islamic Congress took place in Jerusalem in 1931. This meeting included delegates who were not just Arabs. This World Islamic Congress was organized based on the rules of the World Islamic Congress that met in Mecca in 1926.

As the influence of the Palestine Congress and its executive committee began to fade, other groups and leaders became more active. In particular, the Supreme Muslim Council and its president, Haj Amin al-Husseini, became involved in activities against Zionism. In 1931, Amin Husseini started organizing an international conference for Muslim delegates from around the world. These delegates included political and religious leaders, both Sunni and Shia. He got permission from the High Commissioner, John Chancellor, as long as the conference did not discuss British policies.

On December 7, 1931, 145 delegates from 22 Islamic countries gathered in Jerusalem. Important delegates included Abdelaziz Thâalbi (Tunisia), Rida Tawfiq (Turkey), Muhammad Iqbal (India), and delegates from the Wafd (Egypt). Maulana Shaukat Ali (India) helped organize the event. The Indian delegates wanted to discuss bringing back the Caliphate, but al-Husseini kept the focus on Muslim support for Palestinians. Zia'eddin Tabatabaee, a former prime minister of Iran, made plans for an Islamic University in Jerusalem. He later traveled with al-Husseini in 1933 to Iraq and India to raise money for the project.

The Congress lasted for two weeks. It elected an executive committee and suggested creating branches throughout the Muslim world. It confirmed the holiness of the Al-Aqsa mosque (including the Buraq wall) and how important Palestine was to all Muslims. It announced plans for an Islamic university (the Aqsa Mosque University) and an Islamic land company. This company would help prevent Zionists from buying land in Palestine. The final meeting criticized Western control in Muslim countries.

This conference can be seen as the end of the Palestine Arab Congress. It caused a split in the Palestinian national movement because it did not include Christians. It was strongly opposed by Amin al-Husseini's critics. Fakhri al-Nashashibi organized a competing event at the King David Hotel, calling it "The Conference of the Islamic Nation." None of the proposals from the General Islamic Congress were fully carried out. However, it did strengthen Amin al-Husseini's position as a leader of the Palestinian anti-Zionist movement.

As the congress ended, about 50 delegates, mostly from Palestine and Syria, met at Awni Abdul Hadi's house. They issued an Arab National Charter. This group and the charter later developed into the Istiqal Party.

Aftermath

After Musa Kazim passed away on March 27, 1934, the Christian executive vice-president, Yacoub Farraj, became acting president. However, they could not agree on a permanent leader, and no more Congresses were held.

The role of the Palestine Arab Congress was taken over by several new Palestinian Arab political parties. These parties represented the interests of specific families and individuals or identified with certain locations. Some of these parties included the Istiqlal (formed in 1932), the National Defence Party (1934), the Arab Reform Party (1935), the National Bloc Party (1935), and the Palestine Arab Party (1935). In 1932, a small group called the Palestine Youth Party was formed in the Jaffa-Ramleh area.

Other Palestinian Congresses, 1920–1930

Arab Orthodox Congress: Haifa, 1923

Arab members of the Greek Orthodox Church held a congress in Haifa on July 15, 1923. Many Palestinian members of this church were active in opposing Zionism. This was especially true for editors and publishers of newspapers like Falastin and Al-Karmil (Issa El-Issa and Najib Nassar, respectively).

The congress was called after Patriarch Damianus I sold land to Zionists for 200,000 Egyptian pounds. This sale saved the Jerusalem patriarchate from going bankrupt. Another issue was the patriarch's support for a British-proposed legislative assembly.

The Congress passed a decision demanding that the patriarch should not speak for the community without the approval of a mixed council. This council would have two-thirds lay members (regular people) and one-third clergy (religious leaders). Other decisions called for bishops to be elected by local councils, for patriarchal representatives to know Arabic, for the Arab community to control church funds, and for improvements in Orthodox education and welfare. A second Arab Orthodox conference was held in Jaffa on October 28, 1931.

Women's Congress

A Women's Congress, also known as the First Arab Women's Congress or First Palestine Arab Women's Congress, was held in 1929. About 200 women attended. The organizers, known as the Arab Women's Executive Committee, included Wahida al-Khalidi (wife of Hussein al-Khalidi) and Amina al-Husayni (wife of Jamal al-Husayni). The congress was led by Salma al-Husayni, who was the wife of Musa Kazim.