[1] In September of 1934, Kalidi sought election as both as Mayor of Jerusalem and for Raghib al-Nashashibi's seat on the City Council.

He won the latter,[2] and was subsequently appointed to the former on 21 January 1935, days after an appeal of the election results by Nasashibi was rejected by the Jerusalem District Court.

[6][7] He was removed as mayor of Jerusalem and deported to the Seychelles, together with four other Arab nationalist political leaders.

[6] He was released in December 1938[7] to enable him to take part in the London Conference in February 1939, and was among those rejecting the British Government's White Paper of 1939.

[8] Khalidi returned to Mandatory Palestine in November 1942[9] and joined the reformed Arab Higher Committee in 1945, becoming its secretary in 1946.