Palestine Arab Party facts for kids

The Palestinian Arab Party (which in Arabic is ‘Al-Hizb al-'Arabi al-Filastini) was an important political group in Mandatory Palestine. This was the name for the area of Palestine when it was under British rule. The party was started in May 1935 by the powerful Husayni family. Its main goal was to achieve independence for Palestine.

What Was the Palestine Arab Party?

The Palestinian Arab Party was one of the biggest Arab political parties in Palestine during the 1930s. A political party is a group of people who share similar ideas about how a country should be run. They work together to get their members elected to government.

How the Party Started

The party was created after a rival family, the Nashashibis, formed their own group called the National Defence Party. This shows that there were different political groups in Palestine at the time. Other parties included the Youth Congress Party and the Independence Party. There were also smaller groups like the Reform Party and the National Bloc.

What Were the Party's Goals?

The Palestinian Arab Party had clear aims. They wanted Palestine to become an independent country. They also wanted the British rule, known as the Mandate, to end. Another key goal was to keep the Arab population as the majority in the country. They were against Zionism, which was the movement to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Finally, they wanted Palestine to have stronger connections with other Arab countries.

Important Leaders and Their Roles

Jamal al-Husayni was the founder and leader of the Palestinian Arab Party. He played a very important role in the party's activities. Emil Ghuri was chosen as the general secretary. He held this position until the British Mandate ended in 1947. Other important people in the party included Saed al-dean Al-Aref and Rafiq al-Tamimi.

Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni was also a member of the party. He worked as the secretary-general. He also became the chief editor for the party's newspaper, Al-Liwa’, and other newspapers.

The Party During the Arab Revolt

Jamal al-Husayni represented the party in a group called the Arab Higher Committee. This committee was formed in April 1936. It was created during a period of unrest known as the 1936-39 Arab revolt. This revolt involved many protests and conflicts.

The Party is Outlawed

In mid-1937, after some troubles, the British authorities decided to ban the Arab Higher Committee. This meant it was made illegal. They also started to arrest its leaders. Some leaders were sent away to the Seychelles islands. Jamal al-Husayni managed to escape to Syria. Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni also escaped. Jamal al-Husayni was later captured by the British. He was held in Southern Rhodesia until November 1945. After that, he was allowed to move to Cairo.

The Party's Return

While Jamal al-Husayni was held captive, the party was started again in 1942. Jamal's brother, Saleh al-Husayni, became the acting president. Emil Ghuri, who was a Christian, continued to serve as the secretary.