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Martial Law Preparations Complete; Jewish Official Attacked

September 8, 1936
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Defying preparations for martial law, which are believed to have been completed at a military conference last night, Arab rebels today pressed their campaign of guerilla warfare against Jews and Government with undiminished vigor.

Unidentified assassins early this morning made an unsuccessful attempt on the life of Max Nurock, Jewish assistant-secretary in the Chief Secretary’s office, as he walked near the New Gate of Jerusalem’s old city. As he passed the General Post Office, four shots were fired at Nurock, none of them taking effect. Nurock, who was accompanied by Abraham Tattenbaum of the Secretariat, returned the fire. The assailants escaped.

The authorities imposed a nineteen-hour day and night curfew on the ancient city of Nablus, hotbed of the revolt, until a $25,000 collective fine has been paid.

Four Arabs were dead today following yesterday’s battle with troops near Nablus. The battle continued throughout the night and was reported still going on this morning. Planes came to the aid of the infantry when a convoy was attacked by gunfire three miles west of Nablus.

At a special meeting last night British military authorities were reported to have divided the Holy Land into districts where martial law will be imposed. Re-establishment of military courts and other offices necessary for enforcement of military rule were decided upon by the army officials.

Aircraft inflicted eight casualties on small armed bands of Arabs preparing military positions in the Nablus hills.

One Arab was wounded and four others arrested when caught attempting to cut wires near Hakania.

Police along the Tel Aviv seashore beat off repeated Arab attempts to attack the all-Jewish city from the sea.

An Arab was arrested when he tried to steal a constable’s rifle in Haifa.

The disorders Saturday claimed the twenty-second British soldier victim, Private Oates, who was wounded in the derailment by Arabs of a freight train near Kalkillia, and the eightieth Jewish victim, Yehuda Spivak, who died of wounds received Sept. 1 in an attack on Kfar Brandeis, Jewish colony named in honor of United States Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis.

The Arab Supreme Committee decided Saturday to continue the general strike against Jewish immigration, sale of land to Jews and for an Arab national government.

Nuri Pasha as-Said, Iraq’s Foreign Minister who has been negotiating with high Arab dignitaries to end the Arab general strike now informed the Committee that his mediation was purely on his own initiative and had not been authorized by High Commissioner Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope.

Fausi Bek Elkaukagi, famed Syrian rebel who joined Arab guerilla warriors in Palestine last week and established headquarters in the country’s hilly regions, today issued the third of a series of communiques.

The statement announces that eighty British soldiers were killed in the “victorious” battle of Bala last Thursday. “Arab military” strongly hold strategic positions, he states, calling upon Arab youth to join his forces.

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