In the early 20th century, many Jewish Settlers in Palestine adopted the keffiyeh to appear more indigenous. The last picture of Zionist role playing Palestinians is the best. Zionist leaders, including Chaim Weizmann, military groups like the Palmach, and IDF soldiers wore it, inspired by the lifestyle of local Palestinians including indigenous Jewish communities and wanting to “Easternize” their lifestyle. However, the 1929 Palestinian Revolt marked a turning point, diminishing the keffiyeh’s popularity among Jews. By the 1960s, figures like Yasser Arafat solidified its association with Palestinian identity, leading to its near-total abandonment by Jews.
Pictured are:
1. Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion on a tour of the Negev
2. Chaim Weizmann (on the left) in a keffiyeh
3. IDF military parade, soldiers in keffiyehs at a tent encampment
4. Schoolchildren at Ein Ganim, dressed in white and wearing keffiyehs
5. Yitzhak Hoz, a member of the Hashomer military organization
6 and 7. Hashomer members
8 and 9. Portraits of Jewish settlers in Palestinian clothing