A singular postlude to the shootings last week, when British forces killed seven settlers in the environs of this collective farm, occurred today. The elders of five neighboring Arab villages initiated a visit to express their condolences by sitting down, for ceremonious cups of coffee, with Avram Greenberg and other leaders of the colony.
A moon-faced and heavy-set sheik said to the gathering that “the violence of government, like the cloude overhead, sometimes rains on us, and sometimes on you. But nevertheless it always passes. Troops come and troops go, but our neighbors remain forever.” The bearded, ancient Arab recalled the time when the colonists here had helped out his village, at a time of crisis, by sending fire fighters to his community. The Arab delegation had desired to bring a sheep in order to stage a full-scale mourning feast, as is their custom, but they deferred to Hebrew simplicity.
Reporting the stories that define our era. When history unfolds in real-time, the Jewish world turns to JTA. Your support ensures we can document the complexities of war and the resilience of Jewish communities with integrity.
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.
