ABSTRACT
Supporting 'Moderate' Arab Parties If, in the months and years after May 1921, many Jews were preoccupied with creating optimal conditions for self-defence against possible Arab attack, there was also a growing number who wished to go further: to engage in active political work among the Arabs with the object of winning 'friends' and reducing the likelihood of future attacks. Beyond the obvious need for effective explanation and propaganda to convince Arab public opinion that Zionist development would bring no injury but only benefit, political efforts of the ZC (and its successor, following the 1921 Zionist Congress, the PZE) were directed at organising 'moderate' Arabs into a 'party' which would make its influence felt in Palestinian politics to Zionist advantage. 'There are many ways', observed PZE press officer Y osef Haim Castel, 'of doing political work among the Arabs, and all of them point to one goal: to strengthen the forces and organisation of the moderates and to weaken the extremists.'! But this Arab work suffered from many inherent weaknesses, not the least of which was the dubious and elusive distinction which was made between 'moderates' and 'extremists'. Some ofthe more practical obstacles which were encountered included: a desperate shortage of funds; organisational confusion and internal
Yishuv divisions; and a decidedly unhelpful attitude on the part of the British.
