Reform Party (Mandatory Palestine)

The Reform Party (or Hizb-al-Islah) was established by Husayn al-Khalidi in Palestine on 23 June 1935.^[1][2]

At the time of the party's formation, al-Khalidi was mayor of Jerusalem. It did not have a large following outside Jerusalem but its views were widely published in the Arab press. Its program called for freedom for Palestine, self-government, welfare for farmers and workers, encouragement of education and opposition to a Jewish national home.

From its formation on 25 April 1937, al-Khalidi was a member of the Arab Higher Committee as the party's representative.^[3] On 1 October 1937, following disturbances and violence during the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine, the British Mandate administration outlawed the AHC and several other Arab political parties and arrested a number of Arab political leaders. The Reform Party was one of the parties dissolved and Khalidi was one of the leaders arrested.^[4] He was removed as mayor of Jerusalem and deported to the Seychelles, together with four other Arab nationalist political leaders.^[4]