The effect of the Jews on Jaffa’s economic deterioration from 1936 to 1947

One of the most grievous outcomes of the Arab revolt (1936-1939) was the severe economic damage caused to the Arab community. The worsening relations between Jews and Arabs from the start of the 1936 disturbances and thereafter had distinct consequences regarding the decline in Jaffa’s economic state. The slump that affected Jaffa from 1936 to the end of the Mandate period encroached on the city’s status and strength, as its weaknesses became more marked. This article proposes that the Jews had a significant role in Jaffa’s economic decline, principally due to their preponderance in the city’s commercial life. The article examines and evaluates the extent of the Jews’ influence on Jaffa's economic deterioration in the period from 1936 to 1947. It demonstrates that they constituted a significant factor affecting the city’s economic decline, with evident implications for its condition toward the end of that period.