The evaluation of human life as it is understood in the East and as it is formulated in the laws of the former Ottoman Empire, will determine the extent of the compensation to be paid to the families of the victims who lost their lives during the Moslem Arab attacks on the Jewish population of Palestine, including many Americans.
According to the opinion of a legal expert, who made a study of the question concerning the extent of the damages, American and Palestine Jews may expect to be accorded by the Palestine government, under the ordinances enacted by the British administration, the maximum of £250 for the loss of a life. The ordinances enacted by the British administration concerning this matter are based on the Turkish law governing compensation for loss of life or property and damages in the nature of “blood money.”
Under these laws, the compensation for the loss of a member of the body is discretionary with the authorities, the maximum being £250.
After visiting the Jewish hospitals where the victims of the Hebron massacre and other attacks are being treated. Sir John Chancellor, High Commissioner, visited the Government Hospital where Arab patients are lying, principally those wounded from the Surbahr village, where many were shot during the first raid of the military on the offending Arab villages.
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.
