Palestine in the Victorian Age: Colonial Encounters in the Holy Land.

Gabriel Polley's book, "Palestine in the Victorian Age: Colonial Encounters in the Holy Land," challenges our understanding of the origins of settler colonialism in Palestine. The book explores how British and American biblical scholars, travelers, and missionaries who visited Palestine between 1838 and 1888 laid the ideological foundations for colonialism and Jewish settler colonialism. These visitors, influenced by Evangelical ideals, believed that the restoration of the Jews in the Holy Land was necessary for the Second Coming of Christ and saw Palestine as a land that could thrive under European colonial tutelage. The book also examines the practical steps taken by British figures to implement a program of Jewish Restoration and settler colonialism, as well as the responses of Palestinians to the growing Western presence in their country. Overall, "Palestine in the Victorian Age" provides a thought-provoking argument that reframes our understanding of the ideological and intellectual contributions of Victorians to settler colonialism in Palestine. [Extracted from the article]