American “Welfare Politics”: American Involvement in Jerusalem During World War I

This article discusses American involvement in Jerusalem during WW I, focusing on two American institutions active in the country and city at the time: the U.S. consulate and Consul Dr. Otis Glazebrook, and the American Colony in Jerusalem, an unofficial but important American institution. By examining these official and unofficial American “agents”, this paper argues that the American involvement in the city can shed light on America’s “welfare politics” in Palestine, whose traces can be tracked down until today. The “politics of welfare” offer many insights not only on war-time conditions in Jerusalem, but also provide a glance into American motivations of support and involvement in other areas in the Middle East. Using a variety of sources from the records of the American consulate and the American Colony, this paper analyzes the close connection between welfare, power, and political influence, demonstrated by the American case.