'File 15/18 FOREIGN AND POLITICAL DEPARTMENT CIRCULARS RECEIVED FROM THE GOVT OF INDIA.' [‎16v] (30/370)

DISTURBANCES IN PALESTINE.
Until order lias been more completely restored
it is difficult to offer .any full explanation of the
causes of the disturbances. At the instance of
the Secretary of State instructions have already
been issued by the Palestine Governmeflt for the
collection of evidence before it disappears as to
whether the events beginning on Friday, the 23rd
August, were spontaneous or preconcerted.
Pending the collection and review of such evi
dence a discussion of this aspect' of the question
would be unprofitable. It will be remembered,
however, that in his statement before the Perma
nent Mandates Commission on the 5th July Sir
John Chancellor had expressed the opinion as
regards relations between the Jews and Arabs
that the position was improving and that the
Arabs were showing willingness to co-operate on
such terms as the Mandatory Power was able to
offer them.
To turn now to the events immediately pre
ceding the outbreak of disturbances, the follow
ing outstanding incidents are of special signi
fieance :—
1. On Thursday, the 15th August the Jewish
commemoration of the Destruction of the Temple
passed off quietly, every possible precaution
having been taken to preserve order to avoid
collisions, the only exceptional feature being a
demonstration at the Wall by a few hundreds of
young Jews from Tel Aviv and elsewhere, to
whom, in view of the Jewish right of access, it
would have been difficult, especially on such a
solemn occasion, to deny access to the Wall.
2. On the following day, the 16th August, a
demonstration by a large body of Arabs took
place at the Wailing Wall, where, however, they
remained only for a few minutes. During this
demonstration papers containing Jewish prayers
and petitions, which had been placed in crevices
in the Wall in accordance with the old local
custom, were burned. The Grand Mufti had
promised to endeavour to keep Moslems within
the Ha ram area, but it was not thought practic
able without endangering the public peace to
deny Moslems access to the pavement by the
Wailing Wall, which is part of the property of
a Moslem pious foundation. Arrangements were
of course made for the maintenance of public
order in the neighbourhood. This incident led
to considerable excitement between Moslems and
Jews in Jerusalem and elsewhere. Jewish feel
ing on the subject of the burning of the prayers
and petitions ran high, and the efforts of' the
Officer Administering the Government to guide
it into prudent channels were rendered difficult
by the absence of all responsible secular Jewish
leaders from the country owing to the Zurich
Congress.
3. On the 17th August, a Jew, stated to have
been found trespassing, was fatally stabbed by
an Aiab, and an Arab was beaten by some'Jews.
These incidents were not at the time considered
to be closely connected with the occurrence noted
above, though they were of course evidence of
the tension between the two races.
4. On the 21st August local disturbances occur
red in Jerusalem in connection with the funeral
or the Jew last referred to.
5. On Friday, the 23rd August, Arab ruffians
commenced to run riot^through the old and new
cities and serious disturbances developed. No
official information is at present available as to
who struck the first blow. On the same day the
Officer Administering the Government took im
mediate steps to obtain reinforcemenis from out
side Palestine, the first detachment arriving from
Egypt by air within a few hours of the receipt
of the call for help. ^
Disorder very quickly began to spread outside
Jerusalem, various attacks being reported to
have taken place on outlying colonies during the
night of the 23rdj24th. On the morning of the
24th detachments of the Trans-Jordan Frontier
Force were posted at Allenby Bridge and Jisr
Majamie to check possible incursions into Pales
tine from Trans-Jordan, to guard the Rutenberg
works and watch over Jewish colonies in Beisan
and the Jezreel valley. Thus it will be seen that
the Palestine Government had already called for
military assistance from outside Palestine in
anticipation of the spread of disturbances
outside the immediate neighbourhood of
Jerusalem, but before they were actually
reported, and that on the next morning detach
ments of the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force were
already in position at specially vulnerable points.
The rapid spread of disorder, accompanied in
many cases by the slaughter of defenceless Jews,
has been fully reported in the press, and as full
information as possible from official sources has
been published in view of the circulation of
alarming reports from un-official sources, the full
accuracy of which it is not yet possible to verify.
The nature of the country and the isolated
position of many of the Jewish colonies in the
midst of an Arab population greatly outnumber
ing them has rendered the task of affording pro
tection at once prompt and adequate extremely
difficult. It Was accordingly thought necessary
to supplement the reinforcements obtained from
Egypt by further troops from Malta, and by the
landing of naval detachments from the warships
which were promptly sent to the Palestine coast.
Particulars of the forces operating in Palestine
in addition to the local police and T. J. F. F. are
given below.
It may now be said that the disorders on a
large scale appear to have been checked, and
that unless conditions should be changed bv cir
cumstances not at present to be foreseen the grave
situation of the previous five days may be re
garded as under control.
Special steps have already been taken for the
trial of offenders and special legislation to facili
tate such trials is being enacted.
^ \\ arships—Barham, Sussex, Courageous,
Wandere and Veteran,
3 battalions of infantry,
1 squadron armoured cars (lancers),
2^ sections armoured cars (R. A. F.),
1 squadron and 1 flight R. A. F