The Colonial Office denied today that tension prevailed in Palestine as result of Arab-Jewish incidents in the past few days and declared there were no indications the disturbances were “part of a concerted plan for disturbing the peace.”
In a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency designed “to check any distorted reports which might be sent from other sources,” the Colonial Office said:
“The officer administering the Government reports as follows: First, at 4.20 p.m. on June 22, a Jewish lorry arriving from the Dead Sea was stoned by Arab schoolboys near Herod’s Gate in Jerusalem and one Jewish passenger was hit but not seriously injured. Secondly, about six p.m. June 22, a Jewish shopkeeper was shot in the chest by an Arab who went into his shop in the Old City but not seriously wounded. Thirdly, early yesterday morning two Christian Arab painters walking in Ben Yehuda Street were fired on by a Jew who came out of a side street; six shots were fired, three of which hit one of the victims in the back, the other in the arm; their condition is not serious. Fourthly, there is no apparent tension as a result of these incidents and no indications they wore part of a concerted plan for disturbing the peace.”
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