Between Arab nationalism and Zionism: fascist politics and propaganda in the Middle East in the 1930s

This article examines the ambiguous and often fraught relationship between the Fascist regime and nationalist movements in areas under British direct and indirect administration; it focuses primarily on the political and ideological relationship between Italy and Arab nationalist forces, but also outlines the regime’s seemingly contradictory overtures to the Zionist Revisionist movement. The evidence examined in this article illustrates that Mussolini’s ambition to restore Italian hegemony in the Mediterranean through propaganda and political contacts, and to compete with the European imperial powers of the time was not supported by a coherent imperial strategy, but reacted to diverse stimuli and opportunities that arose over time.