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 122

122 stated at first that he did not know whether his assailants were Jews or Arabs and that he did not recognise them. He then made a further statement to the effect that they were Christians. The statement in the Report that the victim described his assailants, would appear to refer to the statement he is said to have made to the effect that the assailants were dressed in khaki shorts and jackets. It is submitted that this can in no way be taken to imply that they were Jews, because this form of dress is not uncommon among the Arab workmen of this particular neighbourhood. It is not known on what basis the Report declares that the general impression among the Arabs throughout the country was that the crime was a reprisal for the murder of two Jews on the previous night. The circumstances of the case were such as not to preclude, if not, indeed, to suggest criminal motives of an entirely different character. One of the two Arabs killed, Hasan Abu Ruz, was a notorious thief well known to the police of the district in which he was killed and he had frequently given information to the police of thefts committed in order to claim a reward. It is understood that he had a record of some fifteen criminal convictions. It was said at the time that two days prior to his murder Abu Hasan Ruz had given information to the police of contraband tobacco in the possession of Arab workmen living close to his hut. As a result of this information a search is said to have been made by the police and several sacks of contraband tobacco and razor blades were confiscated. One of these Arab workmen, named Musa el-Touman, was arrested and a search was made in the house of his brother. On the day of the murder in question the brother was seen speaking to Abu Ruz, apparently upbraiding him for informing against Musa el-Touman, and the police are said to have been notified of this conversation. . On the evening of the murder Abu Ruz made a statement that the Arabs were angry with him because he had given information against them to the police. It is significant that the person who first gave the information of the attack on Abu Ruz and his companion was the brother of Musa el-Touman and that the police dogs which were brought to the scene of the murder are said to have followed the tracks from there to the hut of Musa el-Touman where his brother was staying on the night of the murder. The dogs apparently sniffed at a comb and keys found in this hut which later proved to belong to one of the murdered men, El Masri. In fact the brother of Musa el-Touman was placed under arrest in connection with the murder but was later released by the police. Para. 20 (sub-para. 3). 7. The Jewish Agency definitely disputes the version of what happened at the funeral in Tel Aviv on April 17th of the Jew named Khazan who had been murdered on the Tulkarm highway. The