Palestine 36 Unearths Historic Anti‑Colonial Uprising
Annemarie Jacir’s new work revisits events in Palestine in 1936. It focuses on a historic anti-colonial uprising against British rule.
Context
By 1936 the British had governed Palestine for almost twenty years. Their mandate under the League of Nations promised order and reform.
At the same time European Jews were emigrating to Palestine. Migration began before the Holocaust amid antisemitic violence and rising fascism. Palestinian society included small indigenous Jewish communities and larger Muslim and Christian populations.
The 1936 revolt
The uprising began with a national strike in 1936. That strike lasted six months and was the longest up to that time.
First phase
Rural farmers led initial resistance in 1936. British authorities found themselves unable to regain control easily.
Peel Commission and escalation
A British inquiry, the Peel Commission, sought a diplomatic solution. No settlement resolved competing claims.
After 1937 the British escalated with thousands of troops and heavy weapons. They deployed tanks and aircraft and strafed the countryside. The stated aim was to crush the revolt rapidly before World War II.
Jacir’s film Palestine 36 revisits this period and its tensions. It highlights colonial dynamics, migration, and rural agency. Filmogaz.com reports on the film and the uprising.
