The First World War and Its Impact on Jewish Intellectual Transformations in Palestine, 1914–1918

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of the I World War on the intellectual transformations that occurred within the Jewish community in Palestine, in light of the political, economic, and social changes that the region witnessed following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the beginning of British influence. The war marked a decisive turning point in modern Jewish history, as it contributed to shifting Jewish thought from a religious framework to a national and political one, paving the way for the emergence of an organized Jewish national project seeking to establish an independent entity in Palestine. The study also demonstrates that the circumstances produced by the war such as the issuance of the Balfour Declaration (1917) and the growing British support for immigration and settlement played a significant role in shaping a new Jewish intellectual outlook based on the concepts of national identity, political organization, and collective action. The study also examines how the Jewish elites interacted with these intellectual transformations and the role they played in establishing cultural and political institutions aimed at translating these ideas into practical reality. The importance of the research lies in its revelation of the close connection between the global military event and the local intellectual transformation in Palestine, demonstrating how the war contributed to reshaping Jewish consciousness and directing the course of the Zionist movement toward the later establishment of a national state.