Palestine: A Modern History (ص 82)

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Palestine: A Modern History (ص 82)

المحتوى

172. Prelude to Revolution: 1930-1935 \
The ptevalent sentiments ‘and,the new strategy were expressed in,an
article which.appeared in-al-Jami‘a al-‘Arabiyya on k7 October;
Tat eG °
Kick this Zionism with your feet and stand face to face with Great
Britain. . Zionism is nothing-but.a,criminal enterprise encouraged by
Britain and protected by its bayonets, ‘aimed at oppressing the Arabs
and bringing them under its control. + -
The Cause of,the Poor '
Although the bulk of the /stig/alists, the advocates of the new strategy.
did not have pronounced leftist tendencies, their agitation against the
‘lethargic leadership’ swayed some of them towards,the adoption ofa
leftist interpretation of patriotism. In.a remarkable-article published by
al-‘Arab on 21 June 1933, Darwaza Jaunched:a vehentent attack against
the Palestinian vested interests. The national cause, he argued, was in
fact the cause of the poor, the majority: of the,people who had to bear
the brunt ‘of imperialist and Zionist oppression. The ‘propertied and
notable classes were in touch with, and subservient td, the imperialists
and the Zionists. He reported that rich people were ready .to leave
Palestine to live in Egypt or.Switzerland-if the going got rough, while
the poor had to stick it out“and die in their battle against oppression.
As the Jstiglalists” radical drive gathered sttength, the position of the
traditional leadership ,became ;more precariduss Two days -before the
Jaffa demonstration, the notables, explained their ‘predicament’ to
Waushope in the following terms:
We have never in the past resorted even to peaceful demonstrations;
now we have been ‘pushed to it by;the people themselves. Being so
pushed , we-hgped that Government would help us and not. force us
to,lead people to more serious trouble. + > ~
roy
Three days later the Arab leaders informed Wauchope that ‘In the past,
the leaders were able to appease the people, but now,,they have lost
their influence’.
£ « r
The 1933 Revolt
Anti-Government agitation tended to point ‘out that an outburst of
feeling was imminent. The arduous, preparations undertaken ,by
Palestinian youth organisations for, the Jaffa, demonstration, indicated
the time and place of the expected clash,with the Authoritigs.,Political
activists from Palestinian towns, a.delegdtion .pf women from
| tHeir utmost to assist in preventing the thing getting wider’:
| Prelude to Revolution: 1930-19385" 173
Jerusalem® and Special delegations from Syria and Trans-Jordan
converged on the Afab'port. *
On the appointed day, over seven thousand angry demonstrators
armed’ with sticks, took to the Jaffa streets. During the ensuing clashes
with the Police one policeman was killed and twenty-five wounded.
| Twelve demonstrators were shot dead and seventy-eight wounded.
| Scores of -arrests including the ‘more prominent militant leaders were
made. + § i
‘On. hearing the news of what:the Arabs subsequently «referred to as
| the Jaffa massacre, Palestinian public Opinion was-inflained, and +a
general strike in the country was declared. Spontaneous riots and
t demonstrations came into conflict with the Policé at Haifa and Nublus
in the evening of the same day. On the following day, the streets of
+ Haifa were barricaded and the Railway Station: attacked. Scores of
| casualties were inflicted by police fire. A curfew was imposed, and the
Harbour in Haifa was closed for three‘days. The District Commissioner
| of the Northern District was satisfied that the notables of Haifa ‘did do
»,65
re Safad, Nazareth and Tulkarem were occupied by British troops
F in the early hours of 28 October, but :this did not prevent the
demonstrators from throwing stories at the troops. At Acre, Sheikh
| As‘ad Shugqairi-used his influence:to prevent a proposed demonstration.
| At Nablus tension prevailed, but:no clashes‘took place owing to the
good offices of the ‘Mayor who received the personal thanks: of the
| District Commissioner. At..Wadi Haw4reth trouble was prevented “by
, ‘the.timely drrival of the Royal Airforce planes’6®
Jerusalem awaited the news~of: the Jaffarriot with considerable
F concern.and nervousness. Parties of excited youths ‘arrived’ from Nablus
by ‘car and visited the leaders who had returned. from Jaffa. On the
F following morning shops begaf to close.arid crowds of demonstrators
| attacked the Police-:with stones and during the night sniping took place
/ im the neighbourhood of MountiScopus ‘directed either at the British
{ Police camp ovat the Mayor’s house
» 67,
On 29 October, Arab crowds hurled missiles, including home-made
bombs, at the police and at one place the Police opened fire and
} inflicted considerable casualties. Tension incr¢ased as successive victims
I died, and sniping at the troops and Government Offices was resumed
f during the night. Arab shops femained closed, and it was common
| belief that the strike was maintained by Husseini influence strongly
supported. from the "Supreme Moslem Council, *in protest at the
| continued detention of Jamal Effendi Husseini. Press censorship was

هو جزء من

Palestine: A Modern History

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

مجموعات العناصر

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