Source:
http://palestinepostings.blogspot.com/2007/01/palestinian-arabs-killing-each-other.html
Introductory text by "The Elder of Ziyon"
The hundreds of murders of Palestinian Arabs by other Palestinian Arabs that I have been documenting for the past six months is nothing new. A very similar situation occurred from 1936-39.
The Arabs of Palestine tried on a few occasions in the 1920s and 1930s to rise up and destroy the Jews of Palestine, and things were very bad in 1936. Yet no matter what they did, the Jewish influence on the area kept increasing, Jews kept arriving and Jewish institutions thrived. They then started killing each other in earnest. I'm not sure why - perhaps it was frustration at their impotence, perhaps because an entire generation had been raised to praise Arab murderers as heroes and therefore bloodshed itself became considered desirable, or maybe they simply started misplacing their hatred for Jews and the British onto any Arab that was too Western for their tastes. Nationalism and religion seems to have played a part but more as excuses rather than as root causes.
Either way, the amount of lawlessness that ensued looks very familiar to those of us who have been following "clan clashes" and the Fatah/Hamas civil war. Especially notice how many Arabs were killed for not wanting to join in with the terrorists, or for speaking out against the terrorists. Also note the left column, dealing only with the terror crimes of the previous day.
Scanned images:
Manually retyped from scanned copy from the November 21, 1938 edition of the Palestine Post.
At dawn yesterday, detachments of the Beds. and Herts, accompanied by police, searched Sakhnit Darwish Jaffa. During the operations, an Arab fired on the troops who replied, fatally wounding him. They picked up his loaded rifle and his house was then searched; inside were found a loaded Mauser automatic and a loaded revolver.
?en other known terrorists were arrested while 38 suspected persons were detained for interrogation. One of the quarters of Lydda was searched by the troops on Saturday.
The village of Al Birwa (east of Acre on the Acre-Safad Road) was searched by troops at dawn yesterday. Eighty-five pounds out of a collective fine of LP.100. was collected and a rile was captured.
An Arab named Ahmed Mohammed Abadi, who attempted to break the cordon, was shot.
At Nablus yesterday an Arab named Mahmud Zaghiul was shot dead while trying to escape from the detention camp.
At 4 p.m. yesterday, a police patrol observed three Arabs acting suspiciously in an orange grove near Sheikh Mawannis. When approached by police one of them threw away a loaded parabellum revolver, but he was arrested and the weapon was seized. The other two Arabs were fired upon but escaped.
At about 11 yesterday morning, the bodies pf two unidentified Arabs were found in Jaffa, one in the Mustakim quarter and the other on the seashore in the Manshieh Quarter. As a result of these crimes, a curfew was imposed on Jaffa at 11.45 a.m.
The body of an Arab named Hussein el Saleh was found on Saturday afternoon in a wadi near Saffarin village (south-east of Tulkarm). A wounded ARab was found in the wadi. Both had been shot, but the circumstances of the case are not yet known.
An Arab lorry carrying 70 sacks of grain, which was going from Nablus to Haifa, was stopped yesterday morning by six armed men at km.93 on the road. The driver and his assistant were told to get out. They did so and walked back towards Nablus until they reached a Military traffic check post. On being interrogated, they informed the troops of what had happened and a party went out to search for the truck. It was found near Qabatiya but the grain was missing.
Yesterday afternoon shots were fired at a Jewish bus traveling from Tiberias to Metulla and later at a Jewish lorry proceeding to Khalsa, at km. 222 on the road. The bus was hit, but there were no casualties in either incident. The escorts in both cases returned fire.
Shots were fired yesterday morning at P.W.D. workers in the Abu Kebir quarter of Jaffa. They were not hit and their escorts returned the fire.
Two armed men yesterday morning entered the Municipal Offices at Kalkilieh and shot and wounded Haj Nimr Sabri and Kassem Mohammed Mustapha, both of Kalkileh. They were taken to the Jaffa Hospital. The assailants escaped.
At midnight on Saturday four electric standards were pulled down on a road, near Petah Tikva. Four suspects were arrested.
Heavy firing was directed at Lydda Airport on Saturday night, but no one was hit. Troops and police returned the fire.
At 4.20 p.m. yesterday, an Egged taxi was fired on at kilo. 51 on the Jaffa-Jerusalem road but no one was hit.
Not only those suspected of having "helped the Jews" but officers showing zeal in the discharge of their duty, mukhtars and plain folk trying at least to mitigate the ravages of the terror, have been shot down.
This endless wave of merciless assassination -- climaxed on Friday and Saturday by the murder of the Acting Mayor and a Councillor of Lydda -- has stopped short at nothing or nobody.
Those who dared to call in the assistance of the authorities have been ruthlessly stamped out, those who refused to contribute money, arms or men, have had to leave the country, or they too have paid the penalty.
From the Mayor of Hebron, right hand man and devoted supporter of Ragheb Nashashibi, to the C.I.D. policeman who moved and worked in the tracherous atmosphere in which he died, the terror organizations have taken every conceivable toll.
The following list of the crimes has been compiled from existing records and Press reports. It is accurate as far as it goes, but no doubt omits numerous crimes which have not come to light.
On August 4, 1936, terrorists murdered the mayor of Hebron, Nasr el Din, the right hand man and devoted supporter of Ragheb Nashashibi. He belonged to one of Hebron's wealthiest families, was a member of the Council of the National Defence Party, and previously had been a member of the Arab Executive Committee.
Nasr el Dan was murdered, because, it is thought, he had been one of the Emir's old friends and most important supporters.
On February 13, 1937, the Mukhtar of Araby Birkat Caesarea, near Hedera, was murdered.
On September 18, 1937, the Mukhtar of Balad Esh Sheikh, Haifa, named Muhmad Mahmoud Najar, was shot dead.
On December 16, 1937, Salah Mahmoud, Mukhtar of Shahmata village, was murdered by terrorists.
On April 13, 1938, Mahmoud el Danuf, the Mukhtar of Mattaleen village, was shot dead.
On August 30, 1938, the Mukhtar of Ein Razal village. He had been urged to resign from office, but refused.
On August 30, 1938, the Mukhtar of Beth Mashir, Abd el Fatah, was shot dead.
On September 21, 1938, a gang entered the village of Deir Esh Sheikh and murdered the Mukhtar's wife and three sons.
On October 12, 1938, a Christian Arab, named Bekhait dib Nedjde, Mukhtar of Ard el Yehud quarter, Haifa, was shot dead.
On October 15, 1938, the Mukhtar of Beth Hema village, Mahmoud Abd el Hazekh, was murdered.
On August 23, 1936, Muhmad el Abd Sheikh Yunis, one of the notables of Tira village, was murdered for refusing to support local gangs with money and arms.
On September 9, 1936, Shefahid Ali Kurdi, one of the elders of Balad esh Sheikh village, was shot dead.
On September 27, 1936, Halil Taha, chairman of the Haifa Strike Committee, was murdered. An old Arab politician, he had taken part as a deputy in the Seventh Conference, the last meeting to be held while the Arab Executive Committee was in existence. A follower of the Mufti, he later changed over to the Istiqlal (Auni Bey's) Party. It was known that he, as well as his son, had connection with the gangs. He had been the intimate friend of Sheikh Az el Din Kesam who was killed in November 1936 while resisting the Police, and had been involved in the murder trial of Muhammed Salah Shibl, one of the notables of Shafa Amr.
On December 22, 1936, Mishl Mitri chairman of the Arab Labour Federation, Jaffa, was shot and injured, and on December 31 succumbed to his wounds. For some time he inclined to the Istiqlal Party at another time rater to the Naahashibi group. When the disturbances broke out he was considered one of the most active Leaders in Jaffa, and was one of the first to be brought to Sarafand Camp.
On Janauary 27, 1937, Dr. Ali Taha, a physician and son of Mr. Halil Taha, was murdered. With the worsening of the economic situation, he offered fee treatment to any Arab requiring it. He is believed to have been killed on account of his opposition to the National Committee which was formed in Haifa, and was generally opposed to extremism. During his last days he was active in the incipient revolt against the leaders of the terror.
On April 10, 1937, Ibrahim Yousef, member of the Municipality of Tiberias, was murdered in Shafa Amr village. He belonged to the Tiberias Strike Committee, but was considered a moderate and opposed to terrorist activities.
On August 2, 1937, Hasan Hanun, a notable of Tulkarm, was shot dead. He had repeatedly, by means of the press, appealed to Arabs to buy his land, but had not met with success.
On September 21, 1937, Ibrahim Bey Halil, Haifa notable and an aged member of the Halil family, was murdered. He had taken little part in politics but he openly expressed his opinion between authorities and Arabs alike. Because of his opposition to the Arab strike he withdrew from public offices,and only after the murder of Halil he accepted for some time the leadership of the Moslem Federation. He was also the head of the Haifa Waqf.
On March 14, 1938, Muhmad Malha of Kasra village was murdered. He belonged to the family of the Kasra Mukhtar.
On April 26, 1938, Muhmad Abd Kauashi was murdered. One of the notables of Meirun, he wielded considerable influence over neighbouring villages. During the disturbance of 1929 he kept apart from terrorist activities, and protected tyhe Jews living at Meirun. On the outbreak of the troubles of 1936 he gave no support whatsoever to the gangs. However, under the influence of the Jerusalem circles he eventually joined the Arab Strike Committee of Safed and environs, and was deported first to Acre and then to Hama village. In November 1937 he severed all connections with terrorists. He was killed while on the way to Haifa where he was to settle a private dispute between two of his acquaintances.
On May 3, 1938, Hasan Ahmed, also known as Hasan Darsil was shot dead. He was a nephew of Ibrahim Rey Halil, murdered a year earlier. He had refused to contribute money for terrorist purposes.
On May 4, 1938, Taha Muhmad Taha, of the familiy of Halil Taha, was murdered. He had been one of the chief witnesses in the Nahalal murder trial, at which the activities of a secret terrorist society with branches in Haifa and Saffourieh first came to light.
On May 12, 1938, Ahmad Usuf of the Abu Hajala family, Smirya village, near Nablus, was shot dead. The Arabs of his village and the whole district held him in high esteem. He refused to contribute money to the gangs.
On May 26, 1938, Sheikh Ahmed Kuhla, one of the learned scribes of Atil village, near Tulkarm, was murdered. His two wives were murdered while watching over the body.
On August 1, 1938, Hasib Wihaba, a notable of Belsan, was shot dead because he declined to contribute money to terrorist activities.
On August 15, 1938, Mustafa Yousef Muhma of Dir Nazim village, near Ramallah, was shot dead. He had not complied with the gangs' order for a contribution to their fund.
On August 28, 1938, two Greek monks were shot dead in Ramleh. The reason for this murder has not been ascertained.
On August 30, 1938, an Arab notable of Jaffa, named Tewfik es Shanti, was shot dead.
On September 29, 1938, Abd el Rahman Zaid el Taha, the brother of the Mukhtar of Sidya village, near Nablus, was shot dead.
On September 29, 1938, Anton Mota, an Arab inspector of the Heath Department, Jerusalem, was murdered.
On October 12, 1938, Wadva el Kuri, an official of the District Office, Jenin, was murdered.
On October 13, 1938, Hasan Sifki el Dejani, member of the Jerusalem Municipal Council, was murdered.
On October 13, 1938, a sack was found at the Nablus Gate, Jerusale, containing the heads of Suliman Muhmad Mugrabi and Muhmad Mustafi Mugrabi who had both served as body-guards of Haj Amin el Husseini. The bodies were found in Tulkarm and buried there.
During November and December 1936 six Arab Ghaffirs were murdered. They had been ordered by the gangs to give up their work.
On May 27, 1936, an Arab Ghaffir was shot dead in the vicinity of Yabes village.
On August 2, 1936, the Police Officer Ahmad Naif of Haifa was murdered.
On August 13, 1936, Shafik el Hussein, a Police Sergeant of Jerusalem, was murdered.
On November 3, 1936, an Arab sergeant, of Dassa village, police station was murdered.
On March 22, 1937, the Arab police-
The scanned copy of the article ends here.
