Palestine Before Israel's Creation

Photos in this section have been made available by Hasan Hammami, a native of Jaffa Palestine, and American friend Michel Bolsey, as well as the British Mandate Jerusalemites Photo Library collection. They show scenes of life in Palestine before the State of Israel was established. They firmly discredit the myth that Palestine was "a land without a people." In fact, by the 1930's and 1940's, photos of Palestinian families and young people could have been taken anywhere in Europe or the United States. Photos from 1900 show thriving towns throughout Palestine, and industry centered on fishing, orange and olive growing, and agriculture, much of it for export. For centuries, Palestine was the "breadbasket" of the larger Middle East.  Visit the BMJ photo library for more sources.  We welcome corrections to dates or names from families who may recognize these photos.