Research Suggestions

I often come across subjects that I would love to research (or see someone else research), but simply don't have the time or sufficient interest (though someone else might be interested). Therefore, in the interest of science, I will, on ocassion, present subjects in my chosen field that have not been researched, or have only been researched minimally.

This post's subject: Jaffa During the Mandate

Yes, ladies and gentelman, shocking as this may sound, next to no research exists on the city of Jaffa, especially Arab Jaffa, during the period of British mandatory rule - with the sole exception of Hannah Ram's study of the Jewish community in Jaffa up until 1939. This in spite of the fact that Jaffa was the city with the largest population of Arabs, served as the center of Arab print media (newspapers), and was often the scene of political violence such as during the Arab Rebellion of 1936-9.

I arrived at this fact after having searched a number of academic databases, all of which turned up studies of Jaffa that stop at 1917. Even the database of the Institute of Palestine Studies, a pro-Palestinian outfit with academic pretensions, contains nothing. The closest thing to a study - Mark LeVine's doctorate which will come out in book form in two months - is problematic both due to its too broad scope (from the Ottoman period to the Mandate), and its use of "post-colonial" theory.

So I encourage whoever is reading this to take up the gauntlet, and fill the void that currently exists. Research questions could include: relations between Jews and Arabs in Jaffa, political activity in Jaffa, attempts to bring about the establishment of a deep water port at Jaffa, urban development, the municipality etc.

Good Luck,

AIWAC