Complete Arrangements for Trial of Perpetrators of Hebron Massacre

Arrangements for the trial of the perpetrators of the Hebron massacre have been completed, although it has not yet been decided as to whether the District Court will sit in Jerusalem or in Hebron.

The examination of the Arabs who are accused of murdering the American student of the Hebron Yeshiva, Wolf Greenberg, has been postponed. His suspected assailant, Khalil El Jabri, is imprisoned. He will be held for another fortnight to permit further investigation. The trial of Sheik Markah was also postponed owing to the necessity of examining additional witnesses.

Two more Hebron Arab notables were arrested in connection with the murder of the Slonim family. One was released on the personal guarantee of Captain Partridge. An Arab suspected of the murder of the Reizman brothers was released for lack of evidence, after nine-year-old Judith Reizman, orphaned by her father’s death in the massacre, became confused in her testimony. She testified she saw the accused pursuing her father and murder her grandmother. The child became confused on cross-examination, (Continued on Page 4)

although she insisted throughout that she saw the accused with a knife in his hand.

During the hearing an important statement was made by an Arab doctor of the public health department, contradicting the statement of Dr. McQueen in connection with the mutilation issue. Contrary to Dr. McQueen, the Arab doctor said that the bodies of the Hebron victims were not examined before burial because “the situation in the town on that day did not permit time for such examination.”

Sentences ranging from six lashes to one month imprisonment were handed down on Arab youths who were found with various articles of furniture belonging to the Jewish settlers of the colony Beer Tuvia and Huda. Fifteen Arabs were remanded for trial on more serious charges.

A plea on the part of the defense counsel that the anti-Jewish attack was “a revolution’ ‘and therefore the charge of theft during the riots is not sustainable, was ignored by the Judge.

Arab lawyers, as a demonstration, walked out of the court presided over by Land Commissioner Abramson, who is to decide which villages in the neighborhood of Artouf are liable to collective punishment. The lawyers contended that Abramson does not have jurisdiction in this matter, since many individuals from these villages already have been sentenced for looting.

The investigation is continuing despite the Arab lawyers’ demonstration. It will continue for several days. Commissioner Abramson is of Jewish origin, the son of an apostate.

Any village found guilty of participating in the attacks and therefore liable to collective punishment, will not be allowed to file claims for compensation even on behalf of innocent persons who suffered from the raids of the troops, it was declared.

Because nearly a hundred Arabs are imprisoned in Gaza, accused of incitement and rioting, it is considered unsafe for the Jews to return to the towns for the present. Twenty British troops will be stationed at Gaza and ten at Beersheba. An air force detachment is stationed near Gaza to assist the ground troops. One hundred soldiers stationed at Nazareth are being transferred to Haifa, which is becoming the headquarters of the northern division of the British troops. The soldiers will be temporarily quartered in Jewish public buildings in Haifa and Hadar Ha’Carmel.

Chief Rabbis Aaronson and Uziel called on the High Commissioner today regarding the question of security and the continued incitement of Arab agitators.