Palestinians fighting against Nazis: The story of Palestinian volunteers in the second world war

Abstract

During the Second World War about 12,000 Palestinians volunteered to serve in the British army. These volunteers participated actively in battles in North Africa and Europe. Many of them lost their lives, others were wounded and many are still missing. It is interesting that despite this vital contribution of the Palestinian people and their leadership in the war against the Nazis especially among the opposition parties, the attention of historians was mostly directed towards the meeting held between the Mufti of Jerusalem and Hitler. This article explores in depth the contribution of the Palestinian volunteers to the British war effort during the Second World War from the beginning until its end.