Armstrong Fifth Reading

Chapter 16- I get a better sense of Armstrong's objective stance when she says, "If charity and loving-kindness were indeed hallmarks of the faith, Christianity had clearly failed in Jerusalem." I am confident that I am getting a neutral as possible account of Jerusalem's history. I realize the strategic philanthropy that was employed by Jews across Europe so that Jews could establish themselves on Europe. I also understand the overwhelming influence of archeological finds in providing people with the authority to claim that "they were there (Jerusalem) first." The influence of nationalism and Zionism makes sense. I don't understand the importance of the settlers in the kubbutzin area.

Chapter 17- The concept of physical toil in the Zionist movement is intriguing. I am interested in how Gordon persuaded other Jews to feel similarly. It is saddening to see how one terrible incident, like the Jewish boy who was murdered playing football, propels more devastating events. The more similarly Arabs and Jews felt about Jerusalem, the more conflict and tension arose between them.
I don't understand how and why the Arabs were able to persuade the British the repeal their support for Zionism during World War Two.

Chapter 18- I wonder how the other Arab nations felt about the 106,000 Arab Jerusalemites being displaced? Did they all feel strongly antagonistic toward the Jews? From this chapter, I understand how the intifadah came about.