ABSTRACT
Railways in Israel: The Past and the Future
Walter Rothschild
This article looks at the development of the railway system in Palestine from the nineteenth century through the First World War, the inter-war era, the Second World War and through the British Mandate and the creation of Israel in 1948. It also examines how the new State of Israel approached the issue of a viable functioning rail system for the emerging nation. In doing so the article places the issue of Palestine railways in the context of general developments in railway building in the Near Eastern region during the same timeframe. It argues that regional railway development was not primarily a function of perceived economic opportunities but was motivated by political considerations. As such the investment in railway infrastructure depended on the political situation facing the powers on the ground and this was as true for the Ottomans as it was for the British. Palestine was no exception. The article concludes by assessing the possible future of the railway system in Israel given the move towards a general peace in the region and the domestic attitudes within Israel towards rail as a viable alternative to road transportation.
