Palestine Labor Federation Sends Appeal to British Labor Party

An appeal to the British Labor Party and the International Trade Union Congress was cabled by the General Federation of Jewish Labor of Palestine.

“In this fateful hour, overcome by a great calamity we appeal to you, comrades of the British Labor movement, cognizant of your avowed sympathy with our efforts for national regeneration, social emancipation and peaceful work for civilization and Palestine.

“From August 23rd to September 1st, for fully eight days, a general attack of Arab gangs was launched against the whole Jewish population in town and country, sparing hardly any settlement, aiming at the destruction of the foundations of the National Home laid by the toil of two generations of pioneers. One hundred and thirty-two Jews were killed. Hundreds are in hospitals. Whole settlements were ruined, property was plundered, threshing floors and houses burned. Government protection has utterly failed. Wherever Jewish self-defense was ineffective, wholesale slaughters were perpetrated. Thus in Hebron sixty-three Jews were murdered including women, aged and infants. The victims were savagely tortured before death, mutilated and outraged post mortem. Similar atrocities occurred at Safed.

“We indict the Palestine administration of malevolence and negligence. In answer to our warnings it gave misleading assurances that all was safe. In the face of the initial outbreaks and foreboding of disaster it remained passive and through lukewarm measures failed to check the inception of the disturbances in Jerusalem, thus allowing the riots to spread countrywide, ultimately making the summoning of the military unavoidable. Our conviction is that given determined action the disturbances could have been nipped in the bud. Pleading the paucity of its own military forces the government nevertheless declined the Jewish offer of five hundred men as police auxiliaries though murder and pillage were rampant. The government even began energetic confiscation of such arms as the Jewish minority possessed, which amounted to fresh encouragement to the rioters. Our settlements in Gallilee are still threatened with evacuation and ruin.

“With unshaken confidence in your sympathy for our cause, we pray and urge the Labor movement, especially the comrades responsible for the government to support the following demands :

“1. Suppression of murder and pillage, assuring the safety of Jewish life and property.

“2. Material and medical assistance to the sufferers and refugees.

“3. Indemnity and reparation for the damages.

“4. Appointment of an impartial commission to inquire into the events.

“5. Prosecution of the guilty person.

“6. Thorough overhauling of the administration in the light of recent events, removing officials who share the responsibility either by action of commission or omission.

“7. Legalization of self-defense within Jewish settlements, and ensurance of due Jewish participation in the police and self-defense forces.

“The granting of these demands is indispensable for the continuation of our work. Palestine labor and whole Jewry is deeply outraged by the savagery it has experienced and the gross indifference of the authorities. We confidently expect vindication and justice.”