The courts of the Palestinian Arab revolt, 1936–39

The 1936-39 Palestinian Arab revolt was undoubtedly a major juncture in modern Palestinian history. Yet in Palestinian historiography and, arguably, in the collective memory of Palestinians, it has hardly been remembered as such. Though often mentioned, it was completely overshadowed by the memory of the 1947-48 Nakba (‘Catastrophe’). While the latter remains the focus of great attention, the developments of 1936-39, often treated in the most general terms, are still comparatively marginalized, arguably even silenced. Two explanations can be offered, one nationalist and one social.