20 But at a hold-up which occurred near Tulkarm on the night of April 15th three Jews were separated from a group of passengers and shot because they were Jews. That outrage charged the atmosphere with grave apprehensions. On Sunday morning…

21 of unprecedented anxiety and exertion. All that can be attempted is an outline of the principal problems with which the Political Department had to cope and the main lines on which it took action. 24. One outstanding political feature of…

22 acts of physical violence and the strike movement — the latter being treated as a lawful activity which could not and perhaps should not be opposed by the Government. The Jewish Agency contended that the toleration accorded by the Govern…

23 ment would not take, for lack of proofs. What the Executive urged, however, was not legal proceedings but a fixation of political responsibility and corresponding administrative action. Not only was this course not followed but the Jewis…

24 this mediation and decided, in the words of its statement of September 7, 1936, that "more rapid and effective action must now be taken in order to bring the present state of disorder to an end with the least possible delay." With this e…

25 tion had been supplied by the Palestine Government to the Colonial Office in London on the strength of which the Colonial Secretary gave the House of Commons on April 23rd an account of the initial outbreak to which the Jewish Agency cou…

26 drawbacks or omissions to which attention was drawn were made good. On others, no satisfaction was obtained. When the Annual Report of the Palestine Government for the year 1936 was published, it was found that the original version of th…

27 Arab political pressure in Palestine and elsewhere was directed to effecting this breach in the framework of Jewish political rights. The energies of the Jewish Agency were equally focussed on defending this position which was clearly th…

28 ing pressure was brought to bear on the Executive in this direction. It was urged that since violence was bound to continue as long as immigration went on, the only means of stopping the former was to suspend the latter. 36. The Executiv…

29 tiations of peace with the Arabs might be initiated. Though it was extremely doubtful whether negotiations with Arab representatives would then haxe materialised under any conditions and whether, even if they had, they would have resulte…

30 a "gesture" being made on the Jewish side by suspending immigration in order to secure the re-establishment of peace. An inquirywas addressed to the Executive as to its attitude to such a proposal. The Executive lost no time in making ab…

31 the worst form of suffering — the ignominy of having to realise that sacrifices made have been futile. The Arabs, on the other hand, will have definitely established that in Palestine violence is a political weapon certain of success. It…

32 The suspension of immigration was thus shelved but not definitely averted. Early in August a rumour appeared in the Palestine Arab press that the High Commissioner had been authorised to suspend immigration. The attention of the Governme…

33 It had to meet an incessant stream of requests and enquiries from rural settlements and urban communities all over the country which were being caught in the quickly spreading wave of terrorism. The Department established day and night d…

34 to function without interruption and to obtain the necessary protection. At the instance of the Jewish Agency armed guards were provided for trains. Similarly, protection was obtained for parties of Jewish workers employed in outlying an…

35 representations were made for the payment by Government of fair compensation to Jewish sufferers. On this subject protracted negotiations took place in which the Vaad Leumi also participated. The Jewish authorities urged, in the first in…

36 could be opened only in the event of a direct attack on the settlement, and even then the arms might be used only within its precincts. The requests of the Jewish Agency for the arming of Jews were at first granted most reluctantly and e…

37 and, as recorded below, it was only at the end of June that the first large-scale enrolment of Jewish supernumerary policemen took place. 47. During the earlier stages of the disorders Arab aggression took the form of murderous assaults …

38 High Commissioner to the Emek on August 6th, when the insecurity of agricultural property resulting from this limitation was vividly brought home to him, the rule was slightly relaxed and supernumerary policemen were allowed in specific …

39 amounting to one quarter and one half respectively, were disbanded but ordered to hold themselves in readiness to be called up as a reserve at short notice. The arms of the reserve lines were kept in the settlements. In the early spring …