The Middle East: Islamic and Arab Anti-Zionism & The Birth of the State of Israel

As more and more Jews moved to the land of Israel, Arabs across the Middle East began to react violently to this new sense of Jewish agency. The Jews, who were once second-class citizens in Arab countries, now asserted themselves as equals. It is this sentiment, Dr. Wilf argues in this episode, that lies behind much of Arab anti-Zionism today. She charts the pre-state history of Israel, placing a special focus on the conflict between Arabs and Jews, and looks at how the Jewish state ultimately came into being despite so much opposition.