Mounting tension in this city exploded into widespread clashes between British troops and Jewish residents as a result of the rioting are last night, which left five Jews dead and many wounded.
Troops have taken up stations at all strategic points throughout the city, including the courtyard of the building housing the central committee of the Hista##uth and the Labor daily Davar.
Twenty-three were wounded when police opened fire on a demonstration following ## funeral of the rioters’ victims, late today. A bloody clash was narrowly avert## when a police armored car attempted to penetrate the funeral cortege of 15,000, which followed the bodies to the cemetery. The angry mourners drove the car away, it not until several persons had been bruised and others fainted.
Later an angry crowd overturned a military vehicle, while other demonstrators ##ned the postoffice in the Hatikvah Quarter, on the outskirts of the city. Part of ## crowd then attempted to break into the offices of Barclay’s Bank, and troops ##ened fire, wounding two. Thirty-one others were hurt by club-wielding police. In ## midst of the melee sirens began to wail, quickly emptying the streets.
Although military and police officials last night asserted that neither soldiers nor police had been in Tel Aviv yesterday during the rioting and looting–apparently implying that Jews were dashing around in armored cars shooting up other ##–the Haganah as well as other Jewish sources have established that both soldiers ## police were responsible for the incidents.
An eye-witness of last night’s events described them as “a real old-fashioned ##rist pogrom.” The rioters shouted “Heil Hitler, Hail Mufti.” Unofficial estimates ## the damage run up to $100,000.
The names of the five dead were given today as: Tova Harson, 38; Victor Yedida ##trachi, 30; Zeev Noviakovsk; Kalman Reich and Joseph Azpai, 22.An official inquiry has been ordered into the rioting, following strong pro##ets by the municipality and other Jewish quarters.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
