Saving Palestine in Pre-1948 Literature: Placing the Past in the Service of the Future

This paper examines calls to save Palestine that were made over a decade before the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. This research focuses on the works of Muṣtafa Sadiq al-Rāfiʿī (d. 1937), a renowned figure in the 20th reform movement against colonialism in the Middle East. Although he died in 1937, al-Rāfiʿī warned against the approaching threat which Palestine faced. He called upon citizens of the Arab and Muslim world to claim moral responsibility and to act to halt the impending threat. Born in Egypt to parents of Syrian descent, al-Rāfiʿī is known for his social commentaries that focused on ethical reflections related to the lived realities of his time. This paper explores the articles al-Rāfiʿī published in major newspapers in Egypt and the Levant in the 1930’s, studies the context of his appeal, and analyzes the nature of his moral call for action.