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Local Identity in Palestine in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries—Challenging Dominant Methodologies



Author(s)

Menachem Klein

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DOI:10.17265/2328-2134/2014.08.004

By using top-down methods, periodizing exclusively along the Arab-Zionist conflict and basing on either Hebrew or Arab primary sources, leading scholars tend to ignore the existence of popular local identity shared by Jews and Arabs in center Palestine during late 19th-early 20th century. To explore this identity this paper suggests using history from below methods i.e. history of average citizens that looks into many individual‟s multi-dimensional life-experiences, particularly in Palestine mix areas, and based it on both Hebrew and Arabic sources. Through history from below this paper shows that joint Jewish-Arab local identity prevailed prior to the establishment of Jewish or Palestinian national movement and afterwards existed along with them till it was defeated by the escalating national conflict.

Palestine nationalism, local identity, Palestine Jews, history from below, history methods, late 19th and early 20th century Palestine