Violence Before Israel: The Truth About 1920
One of the most persistent myths about the Arab–Israeli conflict is that violence began only after the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. This claim collapses under even minimal historical scrutiny. Arabs attacked Jews in Palestine long before Israel existed, and the reasons had nothing to do with borders, occupation, or refugees.
They had everything to do with rejecting Jewish national rights.
There Was No Israel in 1920
In 1920:
The Ottoman Empire had collapsed
Britain governed the territory under military administration
The British Mandate had not yet formally begun
There was no Jewish state, no Israeli government, and no Jewish army
Yet Jews were attacked, murdered, and terrorized.
Why?
Because Jewish presence was no longer passive.
The Real Trigger: Jewish Legitimacy
The turning point was not Jewish immigration itself, Jews had lived continuously in the land for centuries, but international recognition of Jewish national rights.
The 1917 Balfour Declaration acknowledged:
“the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.”
It did not call for expelling Arabs.
It did not deny Arab civil or religious rights.
Still, Arab leaders categorically rejected it.
Why?
Because they refused to accept Jews as a people with equal political standing.
Arab Leaders Said This Openly
Arab opposition was not subtle.
Aref al-Aref, later mayor of Jerusalem, declared in 1919:
“We will not tolerate Jewish rule in this country. Palestine is Arab.”
Haj Amin al-Husseini, who would become Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, incited crowds with warnings that Jews were attempting to “take over Muslim holy places”, a claim entirely false, but effective in stirring violence.
During the 1920 Nebi Musa riots, Arab mobs chanted:
“Palestine is our land and the Jews are our dogs.”
This was not resistance to occupation.
This was ethnic and religious incitement.
The Nebi Musa Riots: April 1920
During a religious festival in Jerusalem:
Jewish homes and synagogues were attacked
Jews were beaten, raped, and murdered
British forces largely stood aside
The Jews were unarmed civilians.
The British later admitted their failure, but the message to Jews was unmistakable:
They could rely on no one but themselves.
This realization directly led to the formation of Jewish self-defense organizations, not aggression, but survival.
A Pattern, Not an Accident
The 1920 violence was not an isolated incident. It was followed by:
1921 Jaffa riots
1929 Hebron massacre, where 67 Jews were slaughtered in a city with 3,000 years of Jewish history
1936–39 Arab Revolt
All of this occurred before Israel existed.
Each outbreak followed the same logic:
Jews asserting rights
Arabs rejecting coexistence
Violence used to reassert dominance
The Core Issue: Supremacy vs Equality
The early Arab leadership did not oppose Jewish actions; they opposed Jewish status.
They were willing to tolerate Jews as:
Dhimmis
Minorities
Subordinates
They were not willing to accept Jews as:
Equals
A nation
Sovereign in any part of the land
This is why compromise was rejected repeatedly even when Jews accepted partition and Arabs did not.
Why This Still Matters
Understanding 1920 destroys a dangerous lie:
“If Israel hadn’t been created, there would be peace.”
History shows the opposite.
Violence came first.
Jewish self-defense came later.
Jewish statehood came last.
Israel was not the cause of the conflict but it was the Jewish answer to it.
The Truth in One Line
Jews were attacked in 1920 not because of Israel, but because they refused to remain powerless.
And that truth still terrifies those who would rather rewrite history than face it.
