1st Edition

Palestine's Christians and the Nationalist Cause The Late Ottoman and Mandatory Periods

Edited By Erik Freas Copyright 2025
338 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

338 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

338 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This book provides an historical overview of Palestine’s Christian communities and their role in the Palestinian nationalist movement during the late Ottoman and British mandatory periods. More than being a history of Palestine’s Christian Arabs, the book focuses on Palestine’s Christians during the formative period of Palestinian Arab national identity, attentive to the broader topic of the... Read more

Introduction – On Nationalism and Religion

1. Palestine's Christian Communities at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Erik Freas

2. Zionism and Palestinian Arab National Identity

Erik Freas

3. “The Great Danger”? Palestinian Christian Journalists and Zionism in Late-Ottoman Palestine

Emanuel Beška

4. Building Communalism in Palestine: Muslim-Christian Relations under British Rule

Nicholas E. Roberts

5. When is a “Christian” Really an Arab? Or a Peasant? Intersecting Identities and Interreligious Relations

Noah Haiduc-Dale

6. Brothers in Suffering: Palestinian Christians and the Great Revolt, 1936-39

Charles Anderson

7. Orthodoxy and Solidarity: Niqula Khoury’s Journey to the League of Nations

Sarah Irving and Karène Sanchez Summerer

8. Testimonies of Christian Arab Leaders Before Investigative Committees in British Mandate Palestine, 1917-1948

Johnny Mansour

9. Baraka without Boundaries: The Christian-Muslim Encounter at Shared Shrines in West Bank Palestine

Elizabeth Marteijn

Conclusion

Biography

Erik Freas is the author of several peer-reviewed articles on late-Ottoman and British mandatory Palestine, as well as two scholarly manuscripts, Muslim-Christian Relations in Palestine during the Late-Ottoman Period and The Exclusivity of Holiness: The Role of the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount in the Formation of National Identities.

"In Palestine’s Christians and the Nationalist Cause, scholars rigorously analyze the intricate dynamics of religious identity, national allegiance and historical narratives. This insightful work illuminates the pivotal role played by Palestine’s Christian communities within the Palestinian Arab nationalist movement, challenging simplistic dichotomies and offering profound insights into the complexities of communal identities in the region. The authors’ nuanced exploration, amidst shifting political landscapes and external influences such as Zionism, provides invaluable contributions to understanding the multifaceted nature of identity formation."

Roberto Mazza, Visiting Lecturer Northwestern University, Executive Editor Jerusalem Unplugged

"In nine compelling chapters, the authors of Palestine’s Christians and the Nationalist Cause offer a nuanced and timely reading of Muslim-Christian relations in late Ottoman and Mandate Palestine, illuminating the entangled history of individuals, relationships and events."

Maria Chiara Rioli, Researcher, University of Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée