WATCH: Palestinian unit reaches France in World War II
In 1940, some Jews and Arabs residents put their quarrels on hold and united to serve the Allied Forces
This newsreel shows a Palestinian expeditionary force, comprising both Jews and Arabs, arriving in France to join the Allies during World War II in 1940.
“Affairs in that country have improved to the point where Jews and Arabs are willing to serve together,” the announcer narrates, as soldiers file down the gangplank.
The camera shows members of the contingent smiling and waving while standing arm-in-arm.
“Jointly, they volunteered to help the Allied cause,” the narrator concludes, “and prove once again that man will bury his local quarrels when the great principles of freedom are at stake.”
(The Associated Press and Movietone News recently released their vast video archives on YouTube, allowing the public to freely access a million minutes worth of historical news clips dating back to 1895 — including many iconic scenes from Israel’s history featured in this Times of Israel series.)