Racism, Zionism and the Palestinian Working Class,1920–1947

There are few studies which link Zionism to racism, and fewer which see the Palestinians as victims of racism or of Zionist national exclusivism. To redress such grave deficiencies, this paper will explore the role of Zionism as the ideology and practice of the dominant European (Jewish) settler class in Palestine. It will examine the role of Zionism both as racist ideology and as state or official nationalism. The development of Zionist settler rule will be examined within the broader context of the social, economic and political transformation of Palestine between 1920-47, with an emphasis on the role of Zionism in shaping and intensifying indigenous Palestinian class formation.