To what extent did economic developments in Palestine contribute to Arab–Jewish tensions?

The question requires that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the suggestion that economic developments were responsible for Arab–Jewish tensions. The causes of the tensions may predate the timeframe but must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Although the focus of the question is on economic developments, social and political developments may also be considered for context. Candidates may refer to tensions caused by Jewish land purchases in Palestine, which dispossessed Arabs and raised fears of Jewish majority control. Jewish immigration led to expanded Jewish interests in business, unions and agriculture. Other factors may include conflict over the political control of Palestine, religious disputes with respect to Jerusalem and the Jewish creation of their own armed force, which increased fear among Arabs.

The question required that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the suggestion that economic developments were responsible for Arab–Jewish tensions. This was also a popular topic with some excellent responses. Where some weaknesses occurred was in a failure to address the economic issue adequately and to provide more specific content on other points. A significant number of responses focussed on the period after 1945 which was completely outside the question and was not rewarded. This raised some concerns about students’ awareness of the syllabus content in this section.