Many Arabs were injured today in a clash with police during a demonstration at Acre. Two bombs exploded in Jaffa and two in Jerusalem — in the Musrarah and Meah Shearim quarters — without causing damage.
A German Jew, Dr. K. Felberg, was gravely wounded in Haifa when his car was stoned by an Arab mob as it passed a demonstration. An operation was performed on him at the Haifa Hadassah hospital, and his condition was afterward reported serious.
Other incidents reported here today included a volley of shots fired in the Jewish settlement of Ein Vared, injuring no one, the arrest of three Arabs for uprooting trees at the Tel Yoseff settlement and three more incendiary fires in the Jezreel and Hefer valleys.
The second Moslem sabbath since the recent outbreak of disorders — coinciding today with May Day — passed without demonstrations in Jerusalem as Arabs peaceably left the Mosque of Omar after services.
Police had taken precautions to prevent disorders. The Old City was heavily guarded and a barricade was set up at the entrance to the Jewish quarter. Jewish shops remained open under police protection.
Dr. Hussein Khalidi, mayor of Jerusalem and leader of the Arab national Executive Committee formed to direct the anti-Jewish general strike earlier had told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency no demonstrations would be held.
To avoid possible provocations, the Histadruth Haovdim, Jewish general federation of labor, decided to hold no May Day demonstration today, but issued a proclamation urging Jewish workers strongly and publicly to protest recent anti-Jewish terrorism, arson and disturbances and to demand that “an end must be put by strongest means to violence and crime which have begun to govern the country.”
Funeral services were held this morning in Jerusalem for a Hungarian Jew, Eliezer Witenstein, 26, who was burned alive yesterday when his dairy truck was halted by Arabs at Ramleh.
An eyewitness story was told today by the truckman’s injured helper, Aron Levy, who went home after treatment at Hadassah hospital. He said Witenstein was burned to death when his truck, swerving aside from an Arab automobile which deliberately blocked the way, overturned and caught fire.
The official version of the incident did not mention Arab responsibility, saying the truck accidentally skidded, turned over and caught fire, resulting in the driver’s death.
Hebrew newspapers were aroused over the incident, demanding that measures be taken to ensure safety on the roads. Davar, Laborite daily, asked the Government to make the Arab Executive Committee responsible for the death since the Arabs blamed escaped.
Meanwhile, all Arab harbor workers returned to work at Haifa. Davar reported that Egyptian British military forces had reached Haifa. Several Arab scouts were arrested in the Tul Karem district for forcibly preventing Arab laborers from working in Jewish-owned groves.
Haaretz, Hebrew daily, reported all Jews employed in public works in Jaffa suddenly dismissed. The paper complained this was helping to make the Arab strike complete.
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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.
