Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

Jew Killed in Bus As Tension Mounts in Palestine; Rifle-armed Police Patrol Jerusalem

August 30, 1937
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

MOUNTING TENSION IN PALESTINE WAS CLIMAXED TODAY BY THE SLAYING OF A JEW WHEN A BUS OF THE EGGED COMPANY WAS FIRED UPON BETWEEN JERUSALEM AND TEL AVIV.

THE VICTIM WAS A 45-YEAR-OLD TAILOR NAMED BERKOVSKY, ORIGINALLY OF EGYPT, WHO RESIDED IN TEL AVIV. THE SHOTS WERE FIRED NEAR ARZA FROM A SMALL AUTOMOBILE DRIVEN BY AN ARAB WHICH PURSUED THE BUS AND SPED AWAY AFTER THE SHOTS HAD BEEN FIRED.

RIFLE ARMED BRITISH POLICEMEN HAVE BEEN PLACED ON 24-HOUR PATROL DUTY IN JERUSALEM’S STREETS AND ARAB SOURCES REPORT THE PALESTINE GOVERNMENT HAS ASKED THE BRITISH WAR OFFICE TO SEND MILITARY PLANES HERE.

RIFLES, PREVIOUSLY USED ONLY BY PATROLS ON NIGHT DUTY HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO DAYTIME PATROLS REPORTEDLY IN VIEW OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT ARAB DISORDERS MAY BE RENEWED.

THE ARABIC DAILY, AL LIWAA, WHICH REPORTED THE GOVERNMENT’S REQUEST FOR ARMY PLANES, ALSO SAID A SHAKE-UP WAS DUE IN THE ROYAL AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE SERVICE WITH THE SERVICE’S CHIEFS IN PALESTINE, TRANSJORDAN AND IRAQ TO BE REPLACED BY MEN SPEAKING ARABIC.

AMONG SIGNS OF POSSIBLE TROUBLE WAS A DEMONSTRATION IN JAFFA IN WHICH ARABS CARRIED PORTRAITS OF PREMIER NUSSOLINI OF ITALY AND OF FAWZI BEY EL KAUKAJI, SYRIAN TERRORIST LEADER KNOWN AS “PALESTINE PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER !” DURING THE 1936 REBELLION. A RELIGIOUS PROCESSION IN HONOR OF NEB I (PROPHET) REUBEN WAS CONVERTED INTO A DEMONSTRATION AGAINST BRITAIN AND THE JEWS.

ARABS OPPOSE ROUND-TABLE WITH JEWS

THE DELEGATES WHO REPRESENTED THE ARAB SUPREME COMMITTEE AT GENEVA DURING THE SESSION OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS MANDATES COMMISSION BROUGHT ITS REPORT TO A MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE AT WHICH THE GRAND MUFTI, HAJ AMIN EL HUSSEINI, PRESIDED.

AFTER THE MEETING ARAB CIRCLES DECLARED THE DELEGATION HAD BEEN CRITICIZED FOR ACCEPTING THE SUGGESTION OF A ROUND-TABLE MEETING WITH THE JEWS, WHICH WAS DECLARED UNACCEPTABLE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

MEANWHILE HIGH COMMISSIONER SIR ARTHUR GRENFELL WAUCHOPE ACKNOWLEDGED TO THE ARAB COMMITTEE RECEIPT OF A PROTEST AGAINST PARTITION NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN DR. CHAIM WEIZMANN, PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD ZIONIST ORGANIZATION, AND COLONIAL SECRETARY WILLIAM G. A. ORMSBY-GORE, AND STATED THAT A COPY OF THE PROTEST HAD BEEN FORWARDED TO THE LEAGUE. THE COMMITTEE HAD ALSO COMPLAINED AGAINST ARRANT ARRESTS OF SOME OF ITS MEMBERS BUT SIR ARTHUR DECLARED THEY WERE ENTIRELY LEGAL.

THE ARABIC DAILY, AL JAMIA EL ISLAMIA, IN AN ARTICLE TODAY, STRONGLY DEMANDED THE CALLING OF A PAN ARAB CONFERENCE IN PALESTINE INSTEAD OF SYRIA TO ENABLE ALL CLASSES AMONG THE PALESTINE ARABS TO PARTICIPATE.

THE PROPAGANDA OFFICE OF THE GRAND MUFTI REPORTS FROM BOMBAY THAT THE MOSLEM ASSEMBLY DECIDED TO OPPOSE BRITISH POLICY IN THE HOLY LAND AND SUPPORT THE PALESTINE ARABS. THE OFFICE ALSO STATED THAT THE IMAM YAHYA OF YEMEN HAS AGAIN CABLED THE ARAB SUPREME COMMITTEE PROMISING ASSISTANCE IN OPPOSING PARTITION.

THE HEBREW NEWSPAPER DAVAR SAID RUMORS WERE CIRCULATING AMONG THE ARABS THAT THE GRAND MUFTI HAD TRANSFERRED LARGE SUMS OF MONEY ABROAD, DEPOSITING THEM IN SYRIAN EGYPTIAN AND EUROPEAN BANKS.

EXTENSION OF THE TEL AVIV HARBOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WAS ANNOUNCED BY MAYOR ISRAEL ROKACH, WHO OFFICIATED AT THE LAUNCHING OF A BOAT OF THE ZEBULON SEAFARING SOCIETY AT THE PORT.

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement