Palestine: A Modern History (ص 68)

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Palestine: A Modern History (ص 68)

المحتوى

142 The Lull: 1923-1929
has placed the country in great economic cfisis which compelled a
not inappreciable number of the inhabitants to sell their lands to
foreigners who only buy lands for political purposes i.e. to create a
foreign nationality on the remains of Arab Nationality.
The Wailing Wall dispute, however, continued to provide the focus
of 'political interest aid concern in’ Palestine. Cables of protests against
‘Jewish acts of aggression on Holy Buraq’ were despatched to London
during the first week of August. Muslim religious authorities charged
that the Government’s hesitation to effect application of. the White
Paper encouraged Jewish encroachment on the Burag. Moreover, the
Palestinian Muslims protested vehemently ‘against political interest
under cover of Burag religious futile pretensions’.
The immediate incident that led to the clashes of 23 August was a
Jewish demonstration at the Wailing Wall durih¥ the preceding ‘week.
On 14 August 1929, a demonstration took place in! Tel-Aviv in
commemoration ofthe destruction of the Temple,and on-the following
day a crowd of Jewish young men led by a minority.’ of Zionist
extremists from Tel-Aviv ‘anxious to create trouble’** staged a hitherto
unprecedented procession through the streets of Jerusalem to the foot
of the Wailing ‘Wall. There they raised the Jewish flag and sang the
Zionist anthem — Hatikvah — against the specific instructions of the
Acting High Commigsioner.*’
The incident provoked the Muslims*®® to stage a counter demonstra-
tion on the following day which was not only a Friday, but the
Prophet’s Birthday as well. After midday prayers at the Haram a
demonstration estimated at some two thousand, incliding villagers
who had come to celebrate the Prophet’s Birthday, proceéded to the
Wall where an inflammatory speech was madé by.Hasan" Abu as-Sa’ud,
one of the Sheikhs of the Al-Aqsa and a confidante of Hajj Amin. A
table belonging to Jews which was standing on the pavement was breken
and some pieces of paper containing Jewish prayers and petitions
placed in crevices ofthe Wall were burnt.
‘As the High Commissioner was absent; it fell on the OAG to guide
th excited Muslims:and Jews ‘into channels of“prudence’, but his task
was rendered difficult by ‘the absence of all responsible Jewish leaders
from the country’.*?
A quarrel which arose between an Arab and a Jewish youth in
Jerusalem on 17 August ended in bloodshed, when the Jewish youth
was stabbed. A serious affray between Arabs and-Jews followed ‘during
which eleven,Jews and fifteen Arabs were wounded:
rhe Lull: 1923-1929 143
Upon thé arrival df the police, who arrested the Arab guilty of the
e initial wounding, they were attacked by the Jewish crowd, The
S. prisoner and one of the British police were injured, the injuries
sustained by the policéman’ beirig of a severe character. The Jewish
EF: crowd also attacked Arab houses in the neighbourhood and
F wounded some of the inmates.
Several arrests of Arabs and Jews within Jerusalem and outside it
k«place within the next ‘four days. When the stabbed Jewish youth
Hed On 20 August, his funeral-was tumed into a political demonstra-
ion ‘against the Government and the Atdbs.
f- Anticipating trouble the Governnteht ordered a section of armoured-
féars to corhe from Transjordan tovstand ‘by in Ramlah, on the Jerusalem
Plaffa road. A meeting between three prominent Jews and three promi-
nt Arabs took place on 22 August at Mr*Luke’s house. The meeting
s friendly, and it was agreed that ‘it should be resumed again on
6 August. ‘
" While prominent Arabs were ready to confer with the Government
- fficials and reason with their Jewish counterparts, the Arab villapers
Band the man in the street were excited and worked up by the
resurgence of the Zionist menace in’ general and by ‘the Wailing Wall
f dispute and the events‘of the third-week of August 1929, in particular.
4 The provocations of the Jewish demonstrators of 45 August tended to
B lend credibility to the villagers ‘fear bf a Jéwish attack on the Buragq.
On Friday 23 August great‘numbers of: Muslim villagers came up to
f Jerusalém for the midday prayer ‘Armed with clubs and sticks. Arf order
to disarm the incoming villagers, given by the ‘British police officer in
[charge of one part of the city, was cancelled by his superior officer on
rk e ground that the measute could not be €arried through effectively
Mm without taking up the energies of more of his seventy British policemen
B than he could afford to spare.
as The: ‘outbreak of 23 August, which began around noontime, was
f Birom the beginning ah attack by-Arabs!drmed with sticks, revolvers and
Some with swords, on Jews. When thé Arab:crowds attacked the Jewish
suburbs in the early afternoon, the police opened fire rand shortly
bifterwards aeroplanes fléw over Jerusalem. By 4 pm armoured cars
ifrom Ramleh had arrived and seventy special constables had been
Fenrolled. Half an hour later the Old City of Jerusalem was quiet but
uf F firing directed on to outlying Jewish suburbs continued and so did
Arab attacks on Jewish ‘villagers within a few miles of Jerusalem.*
* When news of the outbreak of Jerusalem reached Nablus and Hebron

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

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