Deaths in the four days of Arab-Jewish clashes rose to thirty today as police killed eight Arabs in repulsing armed attacks on Jewish settlements throughout the country.
Fifty-eight Arabs were wounded in the disorders, bringing the total wounded since Sunday to an estimated 190, about equally divided between Jews and Arabs. Jewish dead now total eighteen, with the death today of Sholom Hadad who was wounded in the previous day’s attacks.
An Arab general strike, aimed against Jewish immigration and sale of land to Jews, swept through Palestine today, affecting this city, Jenin, Safed, Hebron, Beisan, Tulkarem and other towns. An official communique said that in most of the towns the majority of shops, except for cafes, were shut. In Jerusalem, most of the Arab stores were closed. Arrests were made in certain districts. All was reported normal at Haifa, while some agitation was being carried on among workers at Jaffa.
MESSENGERS SPUR STRIKE
A conference of Arab leaders decided to send special messengers throughout the country to spur the population to strike until Arab demands against Jews were granted.
Arabs attacked a Jewish merchant in Old Jerusalem and stoned a Jewish bus near the Jaffa gate. The Jew was removed to the hospital. Police dispersed an Arab youth demonstration in the same place, arresting four persons.
Two Arab journalists, including an editor of El Liwaa, were arrested for intimidating Arab merchants to close their shops. They were released on intervention by the Grand Mufti’s party.
A delegation of Arab youth from Gaza declared to District Commissioner Crosbie in Jaffa that the Arabs would arm if Jews there were not disarmed.
Arab delegations from Safed and Jaffa protested to Commissioner Crosbie, asserting that recent disturbances were caused by Jews and warranted suspension of Jewish immigration and land sales.
High Commissioner Wauchope postponed the annual farmers’ Day scheduled for tomorrow at Gaza. It was learned that Arab leaders yesterday urged him to halt Jewish immigration, citing a similar action by former High Commissioner Sir Herbert Samuel in 1921. They described the disorders as resulting from the Government’s policy and protested against statements that the Arabs had started the attacks.
HEBRON JEWS TO BE EVACUATED AT GOVERNMENT COST
The Government decided today to transfer the Jews of Hebron to Jerusalem at Government expense. The Jews in that city, which bore the brunt of the 1929 riots, are lodged at the Hadassah centre.
A communique said masses of Arabs, armed with guns, raided the Hatikvah settlement, attacking the police. Troops surrounded and fired on the Arabs routing them. Fleeing with the troops in pursuit, they abandoned many containers of gasoline. Several Arabs were killed and many wounded.
Another Moslem attack was launched on Shechunath Aryeh, midway between Tel Aviv and Petach Tikvah. Jews successfully defended the colony until police arrived and beat off the invaders.
Jewish circles reported that more than 200 Arabs armed with daggers left Ramleh and penetrated to the Old City of Jerusalem unnoticed by police. This was not confirmed by the Jewish Agency for Palestine, although other reliable sources corroborated it.
BARBED WIRE BARRIERS PUT UP IN TEL AVIV
Armed Arab groups failed in an attempted attack on Tel Aviv. Police raised barbed wire barriers today to guard against new attacks.
A police guard at Jenin was forced to fire three rounds when crowds of villagers attacked a group of cars. The communique denied rumors of disorders last night in Lifta.
Arabs in that city, which furnished assailants for the 1921and 1929 anti-Jewish riots, were reported volunteering to attack neighboring Jewish suburbs.
Police confiscated twenty-four rifles and a quantity of ammunition in the village of Lubban. In Jaffa, a French officer mistaken for a Jew was attacked and his automobile damaged. Police escorted him to Jerusalom.
Arabs demonstrating in Jenin placed women in their front ranks for protection against the police. A paperbox factory was fired in Abudu Kedir.
Tonsion was heightened by inflammatory reports spread by word of mouth and in Arab newspapers. Reports in El Liwaa that many had been killed in new clashes in Jaffa were officially denied. The Arab paper Al Jamia cl Islamia was suspended for two weeks.
AMERICAN BRITISH JEWS PROTEST INCITEMENT
A meeting of American and British Jews in Tel Aviv sent to High Commissioner Wauchope a strong protest against newspaper incitement and false reports, asking him to take vigorous action to force newspapers to print official denials to avert further bloodshed.
Bus lines between Acre and Haifa were running today and the lines between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were almost normal.
Jewish circles reported that Arabs were expected to attempt a surprise attack on Haifa later today or tomorrow.
Intense incitement against Jews was carried on in the vicinity of Tiberias. Rumors spread that Jews would raid Arab villages caused Arabs in two villages to evacuate in actual or simulated fear.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
