Hmm, as I recall, the Arabs helped defeating the Ottomans, no?
It would be hard to credibly assert that the "Great Arab Revolt", despite the romantic connotations assigned to it by Mr. Lawrence, was particularly "helpful". However, they did succeed in preventing thousands of Turkish soldiers from opposing the British advance into Palestine from the Sinai.
Btw, during the third battle of Gaza, the British lost 18,000 men, killed, wounded, or missing. How many did the Arabs lose assisting the British?:
en.wikipedia.org
However, what IS IMPORTANT is that ONLY CERTAIN ARAB TRIBES, primarily Bedouin, participated and they were aligned with the Hashimites, the tribe you refer to as "traitors" who can trace their lineage back to the Great-Grandfather of Muhammad (which gives them a bit of "pull" when it comes to hereditary leadership of the Arab tribes).
As for the rest of the Arab tribes, either they didn't participate at all, or were soldiers in the service of the Ottoman Sultan.
That debt, which the British perceived they owed to the Hashimites, is the primary reason they were given rulership over Trans-Jordan and Iraq.
And y'know something?.. Given the number of British soldiers who died defeating the Turks, I think they deserve the right to determine who they trusted to govern on their behalf while they administered their mandate.
Hawk |
