'Military Lessons of the Arab Rebellion in Palestine 1936' [‎84v] (173/294)

44816-1
A searchlight was a most valuable addition to any picquet, but few were
available for this purpose and for the most part it was necessary to
rely upon Verey lights.
DEFENCE OF LIF E
The intimidators who constituted the chief threat to life and limb
were of four types. There was the deliberate murderer who selected
his victim, the casual bomber or gunman who was quite indiscriminate
the long-range sniper, and the unarmed town bully. They were by no ,
means of the do-or-die fraternity, and all four had one characteristic
in common in that none of them were prepared to run serious risks to
their own lives. As a rule therefore they would only strike when they
were pretty certain that no serious fire would be returned. On the
other hand arrest had little terror for them. Experience had long con
vinced them that there were always good chances of an acquittal that
even a sentence of imprisonment would in all probability be a light one
and in any case it was most unlikely that it would ever have to be served
in full. After all there had not been a single execution during the
year and many of the convicted assassins of the 1929 riots were already
released and free in 1956. It was undoubtedly the feeling of immunity
from having to pay for a crime v/ith his life that enabled the intimidator
to operate so freely. The remedy of course lay more with the Law than
with the defence forces: things might have been better had the police
been encouraged to use their arms rather more freely, but speedy justice
and the example of some death penalties would have done more than anything
to curb the activities of the intimidator. Again this would have been
best assured under Martial Law, which might also have helped indirectly
by imposing restrictions upon the movements of inhabitants through the
introduction of compulsory identification cards and other measures of a
similar type.
The deliberate murderer was not a common feature in 1936, though he
i^ appear from time to time and met v/ith about equal successes and
ai ures, ^ 0 t of his targets at this period y/ere Arabs - suspected police
Sif?* Po ice officers v/ho had shown particular energy in combatting
^ n aG ^ :L ^ S, or P rom i ne nt Arabs who refused to contribute to their
Sh °^ in some way to be out of sympathy with the
at thT^nn t W ° Uld be dealt ^ two or th ^ ee wh0 called
business ^ , ^ emn( i e< i an interview with the owner on pressing
the case*nf ° down in cold ^ lo od the moment he appeared. In
more offpn 1CQ . ^ Public officials a crowded street was
their normal v ?; ctims woul <i be carefully watched to find out
the getawav wnn'M J on g before the scene of the crime had been selected,
assistance nf 6 P-^P 8 - 1,6 ^ an( i reliance placed in the passive
made with revolvrr a f het ^ G -r-. frightened crovvd * ^ attack was generally
after the vW ^ ^ P 01nt “blank range from behind, usually just .
The deliberate^iJi ■ passed f S rou P of apparently harmless loungers,
the troops as oroteJr inevi tably inore a concern of the police than
good information whic^the^olicJ ^ than anything upon
could be done bv r, tv P°lice were better suited to collect. Much
through constant vigilance and f etim him3elf to circumvent assassination
habit. In crantir.,? ^ d avoidance of ary regularity W
period hut exce-Henf i! aS ^ aturall y very hard to keep this up over any
run risks. Sometime- 3 Arabs preferred to wait rather than
relaxed jlst before m attack ^ T'l' 1 takS StepS t0 get P recautionS
information to ease the fear-’of^h t0 tkS extent ,. of planting false
the rebellion saw the riei-a ° 4 .^ ^beir victim. The year which followed
likely to feature more d ^ llberat !n mUrderer 0n the increase, and he is
would seem to be to do ^ 10miaGntl y in any future outbreak. The remedy
of his.task, especial!v If^ 1 i ig P° ss ible to add to the physical dangers
all who arelau^d^cSd^ ^ Penalty ° f th6