Jerusalem 1938: The Mufti's Escape and the Arab Revolt's Last Stand

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a pivotal but often overlooked moment in Jerusalem's modern history: the final years of the 1936–1939 Arab Revolt in Palestine. They focus on the figure of Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, and his dramatic escape from British custody in 1937, which shifted the revolt's trajectory. The conversation covers the revolt's origins in grievances over land sales and Jewish immigration, the British military response under General Archibald Wavell, the use of collective punishment and curfews in Jerusalem's Old City, and the role of the Nashashibi family's opposition to the mufti. Lucas explains how the revolt fractured Palestinian society and ended in 1939 with the White Paper, which limited Jewish immigration—an event that set the stage for the next decade's conflict. Luna asks about the mufti's later alliance with Nazi Germany, and Lucas provides context on his exile and wartime activities. The episode avoids rehashing earlier topics like the 1929 Western Wall crisis or the 1948 war, instead digging into this critical interwar period that shaped Jerusalem's fate. Names mentioned include Haj Amin al-Husseini, Raghib al-Nashashibi, General Wavell, and the rebel leader Abd al-Qadir al-Husseini.

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