Great Uprising
In 1936, the Arab leadership in the British Mandate of Palestine, led by Haj Amin al-Husayni, declared a general strike to protest the demographic and otherwise impact brought by Jewish immigration to Palestine. The strike rapidly deteriorated into a violent rebellion which lasted approximately three years. The revolt was driven primarily by (Muslim) Arab hostility to Britain's tolerance of Jewish immigration (limits to which by then already imposed by the British Mandate authorities) and land purchases. The Arabs argued this was to lead in them becoming a minority in what they considered their territory and future nation-state. They demanded immediate elections which, based on their demographic superiority, would have resulted in a government under their control.
Rather than inflicting economic damage to the Jewish population, the strike resulted in a sharp economic rise for the Jews of Palestine. The uprising deteriotated into violence, with armed gangs conducting attacks on British and Jewish targets and many lesser acts of violence, often against civilians. The British responded by greatly expanding their military forces and clamping down on Arab dissent. Many of the practices later adopted by Israel, including "administrative detention" (imprisonment without charges or trial), house demolitions, and so on, derive from British practice during this period. More than 100 Arabs were hanged. The main Arab leaders were arrested or expelled. Amin al-Husayni fled from Palestine to escape arrest.
The mainstream Jewish defense organization, the Haganah (Hebrew for "defense"), maintained a policy of restraint (havlaga) during this period with a few notable exceptions. On the other hand, the smaller Irgun organization (also called by its acronym Etzel), adopted a policy of retaliation and revenge (including against noncombatants). Their actions, which included setting off bombs in public places, killed hundreds of civilians and did not have the effect of quelling Arab violence.
Even though 20,000 British troops, operating with the help of Jewish volunteers from the Hagana, were sent to the British Mandate of Palestine, the Great Revolt continued to rage for over three years. By the time order was restored in March of 1939, more than 3000 Arabs, 2000 Jews, and 600 Britons were killed.
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