Laying down a barrage from a strong battery of field mortars, whose explosions rocked the city, the Haganah today demolished an estimated 20 houses in the Sheikh Jarach quarter of Jerusalem and, at least temporarily, ?iped out a strong point from which Arab guerrillas had cut the road to the Hadassah Hospital, the Hebrew University and the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives.
At dawn today, Haganah scouts opened heavy fire on the quarter, in order to draw the fire of the Arabs and thus locate the position of the snipers. After then ?couts had withdrawn, the mortars opened up, demolishing virtually all of the Arab ?ests. A reconnaissance squad which entered the quarter after the barrage found it completely depopulated.
Police in armored cars, who arrived during the battle, were stopped by a withering fire from Arab machinegunners and merely stood by and observed the operation from a distance.
ARABS LOOT JEWISH SHOPS IN JERUSALEM; SET SOME AFIRE
At the same time, elsewhere in the city, Arab rioters attached Jewish shops on Princess Mary Avenue, in the center of the commercial district of the Jewish Section. Many shops were looted and same set afire. Fire brigade units were kept from the blaze by a hail of bullets until police arrived and dispersed the rioters.
A Jewish convoy travelling between Kfar Etzion and Jerusalem was attacked a few miles outside of Bethlehem by a strong guerrilla unit. Two Jews ware seriously wounded and two were reported missing. However, the burnt body of one was found later. Police reinforcements, who were summoned from Jerusalem by one car in the convoy which succeeded in breaking through a roadblock erected by the Arabs, escorted the convoy to Jerusalem.
A convoy proceeding northward from the Negev encountered a roadblock at Gaza, which caused it to halt while its Haganah guards removed the obstruction. As the militiamen hit the ground they were attacked from three sides by Arabs lying in ambush, but succeeded in driving off the attackers, inflicting several casualties.
JEWISH MILITIA FIGHTS ARAB SNIPERS IN HAIFA
A fierce exchange of fire between Jewish militiamen and Arab snipers developed in Haifa today, paralyzing traffic across the Wadi Rushmieh Bridge. A bomb was thrown at a Jewish bus, but there were no casualties. All streets in the eastern section of the town, where the battle raged, were deserted as bullets whistled through the air.
One Jew, Shaul Ezra, was killed and another, Eliezer Gelman, was seriously wounded at Meshek Shafaamr, north of Haifa, when the settlement was attacked by a large party of Arabs. Police units engaged the attackers, who are believed to have suffered heavy casualties. One of the Arabs killed in the exchange was a Syrian.
Meanwhile, the Jewish Agency hinted today that it might adopt drastic measures to break the seige of the Jewish section of the Old City of Jerusalem, where nearly 2,000 Jews have been cut off for more than a week by Arabs who dominate all eight gates to the walled city. An Agency spokesman told newsmen not to be surprised “if you hear a big bang near the Old City and many innocent people are killed.” He ### that “one or another Jewish group will find a way of breaking through the Arab ?don to the Old City,” indicating that an attempt will be made to blast a new durance through the heavy walls if the British continue their passive acceptance of situation.
SITUATION TENSE ON LEBANESE BORDER; NEW RAIDS FEARED
British armored cars rushed to the settlement of Lahavoth, on the Lebanese ?der, this morning, when the colony sent out an appeal for aid, reporting that it is being attacked by a large band of Arabs. The arrival of the troops frightened the attackers, one of whom was captured by the Haganah. He is believed to be a evil worshipper” belonging to a sect in northern Syria.
The situation on the frontier remains tense, with Jewish colonies fearful that raids from across the border, which began last Friday, will be continued.
One man, Moshe Neshashti, 49, was killed by an Arab sniper on the Tel Aviv-##ffa border. In Tel Aviv itself, police found the body of a Pole, Jan Harkovitz, ?, who had been “executed” by Jews. He was found bound and gagged.
Several government departments situated in the Palace Hotel on Mamillah Road Jerusalem have closed down following the shooting of several Jews in the vicinity ?d the stabbing of an Arab watchman, since both Jewish and Arab employees fear to ## to work.
JEWISH NATIONAL COUNCIL ASKS FOR ALLOCATION OF GOVERNMENT ARMS
Citing the open recruiting of Arabs in the Middle East states for service in Palestine, as well as the steady flow of Arab marauders across the Syrian border, spokesman for the Jewish National Council said tonight that “there is flagrant outside intervention.” He demanded official recognition of Jewish defense forces, allocation or government arms, the right to import arms, an end to searches for arms among Jews and a ban on Arab roadblocks.
Urging the establishment of an international police force, the spokesman directed his appeal to the U.N. Palestine Commission, declaring that “this is not an expression of weakness, but a question of right.” He pointed to the fact that the Jewish community has stood firm against all attacks in the past seven weeks, despite the government’s “inconsistencies” and its refusal to differentiate between defender and attacker.
The central committee of the Agudas Israel, in a resolution adopted today, also demanded recognition of Jewish armed forces and an end to confiscation of arms. It urged Orthodox youth to join in defense of the Yishuv. The Agudah statement asked the Implementation Commission to come to Palestine as soon as possible.
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.
