Reform Party (Mandatory Palestine)

Reform Party
حزب الإصلاح العربي‎
FounderHusayn al-Khalidi
Founded23 June 1935
Dissolved1 October 1937
IdeologyPalestinian nationalism
Arab nationalism
Anti-Zionism
Social democracy
Reformism
Left-wing nationalism
Political positionLeft-wing

The Reform Party (or Hizb-al-Islah) was established by Husayn al-Khalidi in Palestine on 23 June 1935.[1][2]

At the time of the party's formation, al-Khalidi was mayor of Jerusalem. It did not have a large following outside Jerusalem but its views were widely published in the Arab press. Its program called for freedom for Palestine, self-government, welfare for farmers and workers, encouragement of education and opposition to a Jewish national home.

From its formation on 25 April 1937, al-Khalidi was a member of the Arab Higher Committee as the party's representative.[3] On 1 October 1937, following disturbances and violence during the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine, the British Mandate administration outlawed the AHC and several other Arab political parties and arrested a number of Arab political leaders. The Reform Party was one of the parties dissolved and Khalidi was one of the leaders arrested.[4] He was removed as mayor of Jerusalem and deported to the Seychelles, together with four other Arab nationalist political leaders.[4]

References

  1. ^ Krämer, Gudrun; Graham, Harman (2011). A History of Palestine: From the Ottoman Conquest to the Founding of the State of Israel. Princeton University Press. p. 258. ISBN 978-0-691-15007-9.
  2. ^ Muslih, Muhammad (2005). "Reform Party". In Philip Mattar (ed.). Encyclopedia of the Palestinians. Infobase Publishing. p. 416. ISBN 978-0-8160-5764-1.
  3. ^ Military Preparations of the Arab Community in Palestine, 1945-1948: 1945-1948, by Haim Levenberg, Routledge, 1993, p. 7
  4. ^ a b A Survey of Palestine - prepared in December 1945 and January 1946 for the information of the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry. Reprinted 1991 by The Institute of Palestine Studies, Washington. Volume II. ISBN 0-88728-214-8. p.949