Ep. 9: The History: Palestinian Life under Ottoman Rule and during the British Mandate (Prof. Dr. Awad Halabi – Wright State University, USA)

Guest: Prof. Dr. Awad Halabi, Wright State University Hosts: Yusuf, Efe, Mert Bio: Awad Halabi is Associate Professor at Wright State University, where he established a minor in Middle East and Islamic Studies. His research focuses on Palestine under Ottoman and British rule, exploring identity, memory, resistance, and religious festivals. His book Palestinian Rituals of Identity: The Prophet Moses Festival in Jerusalem, 1850–1948 examines how Palestinians forged collective identity through rituals and shared space. He received the Malcolm Kerr Dissertation Award and Wright State’s International Education Award. In this episode: We explore Palestinian life, identity, and politics before 1948. Professor Halabi examines everyday life under the Ottoman Empire and British Mandate, including social hierarchies, class, and gender roles. He traces the Nabi Musa Festival, a pilgrimage to the tomb of the Prophet Moses, that became a site of identity formation, religious practice, and interreligious coexistence. The discussion covers early Palestinian responses to Zionism, including Yusuf Diya al-Khalidi’s 1899 letter to Herzl, and changes under British rule. Professor Halabi reflects on missed opportunities for coexistence and the legacies of this formative period. This episode was recorded on July 2, 2025. Links:Prof. Dr. Awad Halabi: https://people.wright.edu/awad.halabiHalabi, Awad. Palestinian Rituals of Identity: The Prophet Moses Festival in Jerusalem, 1850–1948. University of Texas Press, 2023. https://utpress.utexas.edu/blog/2022/12/01/halabi-on-ritual-colonialism-palestinian-identity/Norris, Jacob. “The Rise and Fall of Nabi Musa.” Jerusalem Quarterly, no. 95, Autumn 2023, pp. 129–133. https://www.palestine-studies.org/sites/default/files/jq-articles/The%20Rise%20and%20Fall%20of%20Nabi%20Musa.pdf We did not have time to cover the 1920 Nabi Musa Festival, which ended in riots in Jerusalem from 4–7 April 1920. During these events, violent attacks against Jews resulted in the deaths of five Jews and four Muslims and left roughly 200 people injured. British responses drew widespread criticism. The Haganah was founded in June 1920 in part as a reaction to these riots. The 1929 Hebron massacre further deepened the rift between the two societies and brought an end to the centuries-old Sephardic Jewish community there. Tom Segev describes the 1920 riots as “the opening shot for the struggle over the land of Israel.” Cf. Tom Segev, Once Upon a Time in Palestine: Jews and Arabs Before the Establishment of the State of Israel, 4th ed., Pantheon, 2006, pp. 142–161. Please also check our other episodes to explore multiple perspectives. Disclaimer:Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast team. Technical legal terms are explained in Episode 36 with Prof. Claus Kreß; contested histories are addressed by Prof. Gudrun Krämer in Episode 21.