Arab Group, Headed by Mufti, and Communists Under Police Surveillance

A black list of certain Arab leaders and Communists in Palestine who are being watched by the police, contained in a secret communication of the Jerusalem Police District Supperintendent, was published in the “Jewish Daily Forward of New York. The correspondent, Chaim Lieberman, who came into possession of the secret document, declares that for a number of months there existed in Palestine an organization in which Communists worked with the official leaders of the Arab movement. That the government suspects Arab leaders and Communists plotted the recent excesses is the conclusion drawn by the correspondent.

The letter obtained by the correspondent, headed “Secret and Private,” follows:

86-3-PJ-Office of District Superintendent of Police, Jerusalem District

Police Headquarters,

Post Office Box 601.

Jerusalem, August 23, 1929.

To Abdin Bey Hishaimy,

A.S.P. Division (Police Department)

In regard to blacklist

With regard to the report of the conference which was held at the office July 2nd. 1929;

I herewith enclose (in two envelopes) a list of names of the persons, who ought to be on your map. In case you will have to erase several names or to add others, I will inform you. In the meantime please do the following:

The names should be shown on the map by flags, and they should bear the same number as on the list. Keep the black-list under lock.

The map to which I refer, is in Mr. Sey’s office, and everything the persons listed do should be immediately reported to the headquarters, special branch.:

The list which is herewith enclosed should be called “black list A,” and should replace the previous list sent to you January, 1928.

The black list “B” and “C”, ought naturally to be revised and one copy of each list is being enclosed herewith.

Please inform me upon receipt of this letter.

(signed) L. Herrington,

Superintendent of Police,

Jerusalem Dist.

A copy of this letter also to Mr. K. Langer (Special Branch).

The following names comprise the black list. The names are arranged numerically, but there are several numbers-6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, which have no names.)

Jerusalem district:

1. Hazj Amin Husseini (The Grand Mufti). 2. Djamal El Huseini. 3. Subi Abba Chadra. 4. Azash Vachad. 5. Yasihu Derfel.

Northern District:

6.-. 7.-. 8.-. 9. Achmed Al Imam. 10. Salim Abdul-Raman. (Continued on Page 4)

Southern District:

16. Sheik Abdul Karer Muzchar (Sheik from Jaffa). 17. Sheik Sliman el Tazji el-Faruki. 18. Hamdi el Huseini. 19. Abdul Chani El Karmi. 20. Chaim Auerbach (or Daniel). 21. Isaac Barzily. 22. Elihu Tepper. 23. Hillel Ben Yehuda. 24. Meyer Cooperman.

“The document.” cables Chaim Lieberman, correspondent of the “Forward” in Palestine. “throws much light on the principal leaders of the bloody events in Palestine. It is a peculiar fact that for a number of months there existed in Palestine an organization in which Communists worked together with the official leaders of the Arab movement.

“It is such an astonishing revelation that if I did not have before me the photostat of the document I would not believe it because for years and years the same Arab leaders have in their newspapers emphasized, more than anything else, that the Palestine Jews have brought into the country the poison of Bolshevism. No one exploits so much the fact that there are in the country agents of Moscow in order to discredit the entire huge reconstruction work performed by the Jews in the country as do these same Arab leaders who have been secretly connected with the Communists.

“On the other hand, the Communists have persisted in claiming that they are fighting for the Arab workmen and against their oppressors, the rich Effendi, the Arab priests and also the Zionists. And now it has been suddenly revealed to the world that there existed a secret alliance between the leaders of the Arab Executive and the most important local agents of Moscow. There has been a most intimate relationship, a close association in a secret society which, cautiously and in every detail, worked out the plans for the pogrom of the Jews.

“The letter as well as the black list.” says the correspondent. “was written on official stationery. It is significant, that the first name on the black list is none other than the highest leader of the Palestine Arab community. the chief of the highest Moslem Council, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. Amin El Husseini. Following his are mentioned the most important Arab leaders and after them the Communist agitators in Palestine are given.”