The Arab Revolt in Palestine in the Assessments of US Press 1936–1937

The article examines the process of forming assessments of the Arab revolt in US periodicals. Materials from these publications make it possible to establish how ideas about the causes of the uprising changed in the US information discourse; how the process of evolution of the image of Great Britain as an ally and Great Britain as a competitor proceeded. American newspapers provide critical insights into the evaluations of actions taken to address the crisis in 1936. An analysis of US newspapers highlights the construction of images surrounding the Jewish and Arab populations of Palestine, as well as the determination of which groups were categorized as “Us”. The years 1936–1937 emerged as pivotal for US public opinion in shaping priorities concerning the Middle East conflict. During this period, a noteworthy feature of Palestine’s portrayal involved the demonization of both the rebellious Arabs and the British authorities. Reports in US newspapers and magazines frequently attributed the uprising to the religious fanaticism of the Arabs, framing the conflict between Arabs and Jews primarily in terms of religious differences. This narrative conforms to a classic Orientalist framework, emphasizing a dichotomy between “civilization” and “barbarism,” with the United States adopting the role of an observing society. The article effectively illustrates the stages of evolving assessments of the Arab revolt of 1936.