also viewable on Substack:

https://palestinebookshelf.substack.com/p/one-palestine-complete-jews-and-arabs?r=4gjzh4

Copy of the summary below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gwiMqFF05uXHzcs51gCVmunrAHC-vd1ffixlbqrmt5c/edit?usp=sharing

Summary of One Palestine Complete by Tom Segev

OVERVIEW

• The video is a book review by Stephen Heiner on the Palestine Bookshelf channel.
• It discusses the 1999 book One Palestine Complete: Jews and Arabs Under the British Mandate by Israeli historian Tom Segev, referencing Heiner's earlier three-part review series.
• Focuses on the British Mandate period (1917–1948), highlighting conflicting promises, Zionist development, and roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

MAIN THESIS

• British policies under the Mandate effectively facilitated the establishment of a Jewish national home while claiming balance, ultimately enabling Zionist success at the expense of Arab rights.
• Segev compiles historical evidence showing how immigration, land purchases, and institution-building under British sponsorship led to Jewish dominance by 1948.
• The book portrays the period as one of irreconcilable national aspirations, with British favoritism toward Zionism despite pro-Arab rhetoric.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

• Begins with the 1917 Balfour Declaration promising a Jewish national home without explicitly recognizing Palestinian national rights.
• Covers waves of Jewish immigration (aliyah), land acquisitions often from absentee landlords leading to evictions, and cycles of violence in the 1920s–1930s.
• Examines the 1936–1939 Arab Revolt as a response to expropriation, and Zionist views of Arabs and "transfer" concepts.

DETAILS OF BRITAIN'S INFLUENCE

• British facilitation of Jewish immigration (population grew tenfold), settlements, schools, and military precursors (e.g., Haganah).
• Conflicting promises to Jews and Arabs; policies allowed Zionist institutions to develop while suppressing Arab resistance.
• Land sales by Arabs created tensions, with evictions fueling violence; Zionist ideals drew from European models to create a "new Jew."

EVIDENCE AND RESEARCH

• Draws from archival sources, quotes from Zionist leaders like David Ben-Gurion (e.g., prioritizing immigration over rescue, viewing revolt as understandable), and Theodore Herzl's early ideas on population transfer.
• Details on immigration patterns (many Jews chose other destinations; post-1924 US restrictions pushed some to Palestine).
• Examples of violence from both sides, Jewish Agency investigations, and tactical Zionist acceptance of 1947 partition despite issues.

CONTROVERSY AND RECEPTION

• Segev, an Israeli "new historian," challenges traditional Zionist narratives by highlighting British bias and Zionist strategic priorities.
• Praised for balanced compilation of perspectives on Jews, Arabs, and British; provides insight into mindsets shaping the conflict.
• Some may view it as critical of Zionism, but it's grounded in historical records rather than ideology.

IMPACT AND LEGACY

• Illuminates origins of demographic and territorial shifts leading to 1948.
• Explains ongoing patterns in land disputes, disproportionate responses, and national narratives.
• Encourages understanding historical behaviors to contextualize current Israel-Palestine events.

PURPOSE OF THE VIDEO

• To highlight key passages and insights from Segev's book for viewers new to the topic.
• To connect Mandate-era history to broader Palestinian narrative amid ongoing conflicts.
• To promote deeper reading and discussion through the Palestine Bookshelf series.

Find other summaries like this at Palestine Bookshelf: www.palestinebookshelf.org

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