Political report of the Executive of the Jewish Agency submitted to the ... Zionist Congress and the ... session of the Council of the Jewish Agency · 1937-08-01 · 8.1937 · p. Seite 19

19 THE DISTURBANCES OF 1936 21. While these political developments were in progress, the security situation in the country became seriously disturbed by a series of terroristic acts and by a violent campaign of anti-Jewish incitement in the press. Reference has previously been made to the general unsettling effect which the Abyssinian War had on the internal political situation of Palestine. In a number of ways, operating on the minds of Palestine Arabs directly and through its repercussions in Egypt and in Syria, the Abyssinian crisis fanned the hopes of militant Arab nationalists that a major political conflict, such as then seemed to be impending, might enable them to assert Arab domination over Palestine and liquidate the Jewish National Home. The tendency towards acquiescence in the progress of Jewish work, which had been visibly gaining ground, was checked and a militant spirit gained the upper hand. The concessions offered by Government to Arab leaders served not to appease but further to inflame Arab ambitions. It became evident that subversive activities were in progress which might at any time cause a conflagration. During the first months of 1936, the Jewish Agency repeatedly drew the attention of the Government to cases of secret arming and training among the Arabs. The discovery of a consignment of arms in the port of Jaffa, though sent to an addressee bearing an Arab name, was used by the Arab press for conducting a violent agitation against the Jewish community. The notorious band of Sheikh Izzed-Din el-Qassam, which had lain low for some time and the tracking down of which the Jewish Agency had been urging for years past, revived its activities in November 1935. The murder by this band of the Jewish police sergeant Moshe Rosenfeld on Mount Gilboa set the police on its track and led to its destruction. The public funeral of the members of the band killed by the police in the engagement was held with official permission in Haifa and attracted large crowds. This funeral demonstration served to glorify the criminals in the eyes of the populace and was utilised by the Arab press for investing them with the halo of martyrdom. Despite Jewish representations this campaign of the Arab newspapers was tolerated by Government. On March 2, 1936, a settler from Nahalal was killed while travelling in an Arab bus near Tulkarm. The anti-Jewish character of this murder was not definitely established.