peoples of Asia and Africa adopted Western ways in order to regain their place in a world in which Western culture, Western technology and Western military techniques reigned supreme. Zionism, as we have seen, was the last national movement born within the framework of Western culture. Arab nationalism, born at the same time, was one of the first national movements born outside this framework. Nationalism, after fulfilling its mission in Europe, and becoming obsolescent there, was commencing its historical march across the deserts and jungles and steppes of Asia and Africa.
At the beginning of this century about half a million Arabs lived in Palestine. The Jewish population, which amounted to 24,000 in 1882, rose to 50,000 by the end of the century and 85,000 as World War I began. These two populations viewed each other with mixed feelings, not quite knowing how to treat one another, maneuvering rather like sparring partners before the big match.
The first Jewish settlers in their isolated villages, surrounded by the Arab countryside, wavered between an attitude of friendliness and cooperation and a policy of toughness and contempt. As soon as one wave of settlers got used to its environment, learned the Arab's language and habits, made contact with neighboring villages and employed Arab labor, a new wave of immigrants fresh from Eastern Europe would upset this uneasy relationship, taking over Arab employment in the Jewish villages and adopting the idea that you have to be tough to the Arabs to command their respect. More or less the same thing happened on the Arab side. At times the village chiefs would deal with the Jewish settlements in a friendly way, realizing the economic advantages to be gained thereby, only to be accused the next day by other Arabs of aiding and abetting the infiltration of the land by foreigners who might eventually take it over.
Arguments over land, wells and employment would erupt from time to time, poisoning the atmosphere. Such