I am researching and writing a book
to be called ‘Battles for the Holy Land - 1917 and beyond.’
The book recalls the exploits of
General Allenby and others that led to the liberation of Jerusalem. It’s
arrival will be timely as next year will mark a 100 years since that milestone.
The book will feature events from
this period in history and the characters that participated in them, including
Lawrence of Arabia who raised the standing of the Hashemites under British
patronage, but here is what he wrote about Arab nationalism.
Here is a quote I reprise in the
book;
“Their idea of nationality is
the independence of tribes and parishes and their idea of national union is episodic,
combined resistance to an intruder. Constructive politics, an organized state,
and an extensive empire are not only beyond their capacity, but anathema to
their instincts.
Unless we, or our Allies, make
an efficient Arab empire, there will never be more than a discordant mosaic of
provisional administrations.”
Irrespective of the mess that the
Great Powers made in carving up the Arab world, we can see the mess being made today
by the Arabs themselves on themselves.
Look at the divergent Palestinian
Arabs. Even in their microcosm they cannot come together to build their own
state. They hate and kill each other even as they hate us.
A world that failed to understand
the Arabs then should heed the words of T.E.Lawrence echoing to us from a hundred
years ago.
His words are as relevant today
they were when he wrote them in November 1916.
Barry Shaw is the Senior Associate for Public Diplomacy
at the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies.
Author of 'Fighting Hamas, BDS and Anti-Semitism.'
Samuel Katz, in his 'Battleground: Fact and Fiction in Palestin' devotes much space to Lawrence and the Cairo British administration. The book itself is remarkably good on the history of Palestine/Israel.
ReplyDeleteDenis. I have to get myself a copy. Hope I can find one in Israel.
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