Posted on 07/03/2008 5:16:50 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
The situation is almost hopeless, they seem to feel. In the light of the most recent developments, from whatever angle one views conditions here, there is unsettlement in sight. The Arabs remain uncompromising in their demands. Their terrorist gangs continue activities with ever-increasing zeal. Whence their support and supplies come is still a mystery.
Rebel Orders Obeyed
It had been thought that with the signing of the Anglo-Italian agreement the terrorism, which it has been known for a long time was supported by Italians, would cease; but instead it is constantly on the increase. Large numbers of these gangs are still outsiders, most of them succeeding in filtering into the country from Lebanon and Syria despite “Tegart’s Wall,” the barbed-wire fence which was erected along the northern border of Palestine by the military.
Not only do the rebels attack fearlessly but they actually have become a power feared by the otherwise peaceful native villagers whose daily activities they now dictate even in affairs not concerning Palestine. When the rebels ordered Arab merchants in northern towns to declare a general strike in protest against the situation in the Sanjak of Alexandretta, all complied. The government then threatened that unless the strike was called off it would occupy the districts with troops. Fearing the rebels’ threats more than the government, most of the merchants did not reopen, but one who dared to do so saw his shop invaded by a gang of rebels, who fired into it, then made away.
Incidents of the week in connection with the hanging of Solomon ben Yosef revealed dissension in Jewish ranks, which also is a stumbling block to a satisfactory solution of the Palestine problem. There are two significant phases of the affair. Ben Yosef, who was found guilty by a military court of firing on an Arab bus [no casualties resulted] was a member of the Revisionist party. The members of this party, who constitute only a very small minority of the entire Jewish population, are militant, extreme-Right Zionists. Their policy is retaliation against Arab terrorism in Palestine – terror for terror – to which all other Jews strongly object. Lately the Revisionist position has been waning and leaders have sought some means of increasing their popularity. By producing a martyr they hoped again to gain sympathizers. Ben Yosef served the desired purpose.
During the last week tension in the Jewish ranks has been extremely high. Aware of the Revisionists’ militant attitude, authorities feared they would seize the opportunity to agitate. The Revisionists were out to make trouble with any who did not agree with their policy, especially the Jewish Agency, whose leaders in Palestine are mostly in the Labor party. Strong detachments of police stationed in all the Jewish centers of the country prevented serious incidents except at Tel Aviv, where in clashes with police many casualties occurred.
The British Policy
But of even greater significance than the Ben Yosef affair was its effect, once again indicating Great Britain’s policy of maintaining equilibrium in her attitude toward the Arabs and Jews of Palestine, in view of the fact that Arabs have been hanged for terrorist activities, Jewish circles feel that politics influenced the tenacity with which British authorities refused to commute the death sentence of the Jewish youth, who belonged to a community which has been practicing self-restraint for more than two years in the face of strong provocation. It is said in these circles that Britain’s aim was to prove to the Arabs that Jews are not immune to the gallows and show the world that Jews as well as Arabs are guilty of terrorist activities in Palestine and thus are unripe for self-government.
Although the British Partition Commission is now in Palestine investigating methods of implementing the partition scheme, Britain is considering more and more that partition is impracticable. The Arabs will never agree to accept it in any form and she cannot afford to antagonize the entire Moslem world; consequently, means must be found to convince the League of Nations and the world at large that the scheme must be abandoned. Her allowing protests against partition to arise in Arab countries where she had sufficient influence to prevent them has contributed to a belief here that she no longer intends to insist on partition.
Barbed-wire “Wall”
A scheme for a barbed-wire “wall,” suggested by Sir Charles Tegart, adviser to the Palestine Government on suppression terrorism, was undertaken at a cost of ₤90,000 to bar bands of fugitives, smugglers or agitators at the frontiers between Palestine and Syria, Transjordan and the Lebanon.
The specifications called for a fence extending for about fifty miles from the coastal road to the Huleh marshes, where Jewish colonies form a barrier. The fence then resumes and extends to the Sea of Galilee, which will be patrolled by motor launches. South of the Sea of Galilee a short stretch will be fenced. Plans are being made for obstructing the passage of the Jordan at its seventy fords.
Tests have shown the fence could not be penetrated in less than twenty minutes even by daylight.
This is from the Sunday news magazine. The word “Israel” never appears, but it is depressingly familiar nonetheless.
Hmmmmmm... Is it still a mystery?
Does anyone know why the Italians supported Arabs against Jews? Did Italians then stop supporting Arabs (per agreement with Britain presumably), and some other power step in?
Would you be referring to Italy's future Pact of Steel partner? The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem was engaged in anti-Zionist activities during the era, but by 1938 he was on the lam (sez Wikipedia). He did not actually meet with Hitler until 1941.
al-Husseini was instrumental in what was later to be the Bath party in Syria and eventually Iraq. At the time a member of the Bath party was mentoring his young nephew named Saddam Hussein.
Thanks for filling in a hole in my historical memory.
Using your words, I did a little googling, and came up with the following:
Husseini "took over leadership of the Arab Revolt (Great Uprising) of 1936-1939, apparently funded by the Italian Fascist government or the Nazis.
"Count Ciano, the Italian Foreign Minister, stated in 1940 that the Italians had funded the Mufti for many years, and likewise the German Siecherheitsdienst (Secret Service) claimed that without their support, the Arabs could not have continued their resistance to the British in Palestine.
"The Mufti formed the Higher Arab Committee and used the revolt to settle scores with rival Palestinian clans, murdering hundreds of leaders in 11 different clans.
"It is reported that he met with Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in September or October of 1937, when Eichmann visited Palestine for a day.
"Eichmann was investigating the possibility of deporting Jews to Palestine. Reportedly, the Mufti persuaded him against this scheme.
"However, it is not at all clear that the Mufti was still in Palestine when Eichmann visited.
"In September or October of 1937, following the murder of the British commissioner for the Galilee, Husseini and the entire "Higher Arab Committee" fled first to Lebanon and then to Iraq, where he engineered a pro-Axis coup."
I was curious -- didn't realize the Italians were involved trying to stir up trouble for Brits in Palestine. German involvment is more understandable.
But it begs this question: in the Nazis' early years (before 1939), was there ever serious thought amongst them about transporting Jews to Palestine? Somehow, I doubt it, but that supposedly was the reason for Eichmann's ONE DAY visit there...
That is probably why I'm not surprised that Italy would be medaling in Middle East affairs.
As an aside, the Sicherheitsdienst were also known as the SD. They were the Secret Service, but were also the intelligence service for the SS.
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