Feb 1, 2009
"We tend to believe abroad that Palestine is nowadays almost completely deserted,
Jaffa, Palestine: Palestinians gather at the Grand Serai (local government offices) in July 1908, to celebrate the al-Hurriyah
Revolution (i.e. the Young Turks Revolution) against Sultan Abdul Hamid
and in favor of the restoration of the constitution and the holding of
Parliamentary elections. (via Walid Khalidi, Before Their Diaspora).
a noncultivated wilderness,
Jaffa, Palestine: General view of the city from the sea looking east, pre-1914. (Matson Collection, 1898-1914).
and anyone can come there and buy as much land as his heart desires.
Jaffa,
Palestine: Street scene in the old city next to the Jaffa's famous
Clock tower, pre-1914 (Matson Collection).
But in reality this is not the case.
Jaffa, Palestine: The bazaar in 1896.
It is difficult to find anywhere in the country Arab land which lies fallow;
Jaffa, Palestine: General view of Jaffa and its orange groves, facing south; before 1914. (Matson Collection)
the only areas which are not cultivated are sand dunes or stony mountains,
Jaffa, Palestine: Harvesting the oranges. (Matson Collection)
which can be only planted with trees,
Jaffa, Palestine: Sorting and packing citrus fruits, 1920's.
and even this only after much labor and capital would be invested
Jaffa, Palestine: Oranges being wrapped for sale. (Matson Collection).
in clearance and preparation...
Jaffa, Palestine: Boxed Jaffa oranges being loaded for export, early 1920's. Jaffa oranges were Palestine's leading export. After 1948, Jaffa's nationalized orange groves and the established markets for their products provided the major source of income for the new state of Israel.
We tend to believe abroad that all Arabs are desert barbarians,
Jaffa,
Palestine: The
staff of the Government Secondary Boys' School (al-Ameiryah High
School) in 1923. Seated center is Salim Katul, author of a series of
textbooks in Arabic on the natural sciences.
an asinine people who does not see or understand what is going on around them.
Jaffa, Palestine: Elementary school pupils at the National Christian Orthodox School (1938).
This is a cardinal mistake...
Jaffa, Palestine: Carpentry class at the Government Secondary Boys' School, 1924. The inscription over the door reads, "The least worthy of you are the least learned".
[When] the day will come in which the life of our people in the Land of Israel
Jaffa, Palestine: The band of the National Christian Orthodox School (1938)
will develop to such a degree that they will push aside the local population by little or by much,
Jaffa, Palestine: Wolf Cubs and Boy Scouts with camping gear, at the Government Secondary Boys' School, 1924.
then it will not easily give up its place...
Jaffa, Palestine: The Government Secondary Boys' School first XI (Soccer) in 1923.
One thing we certainly should have learned from our past and present history,
Jaffa, Palestine: Palestinians demonstrate in Jaffa's central square against the plans of the British government to increase Zionist immigration into Palestine, 27 October 1933.
and that is not to create anger among the local population against us...
Jaffa, Palestine: British Soldiers clubbing Palestinian dignitary Musa Kazim Pasha al-Husseini at the 27 October 1933 demonstration against British policy on Zionist immigration into Palestine. Musa Kazim Pasha al-Husseini died six months later, 27 March 1934, at the age of eighty-one, having never recovered from the effects of this beating. (via Walid Khalidi, Before Their Diaspora).
We have to treat the local population with love and respect, justly and rightly.
Jaffa,
Palestine:
The beginning of the Arab Revolt of 1936-39. British riot
police clash with Palestinian demonstrators protesting Britain's
pro-Zionist policies (specifically increasing Zionist immigration into
Palestine), Central
Square, Jaffa, 12 June 1936. (via Walid Khalidi, Before Their Diaspora).
And what do our brethren in the Land of Israel do? Exactly the opposite!
Jaffa, Palestine: British soldiers search one of Jaffa's residents during
the Arab Revolt, 1936.
[T]hey behave toward the Arabs with hostility and cruelty,
The
Punishment of Jaffa, Palestine: British soldiers cordon off Jaffa's old
city in preparation for the punitive demolition of Palestinian
buildings in reprisal for the Arab Revolt against British policy in
Palestine; 1936.
infringe upon their boundaries,
The
Punishment
of Jaffa, Palestine: British soldiers carry out punitive demolitions in
the old city, in reprisal for the Arab Revolt against British policy in
Palestine; 1936.
hit them shamefully without reason, and even brag about it.
Jaffa, Palestine: The ruins of the Grand Serai (local govt offices, see the first photo in this post). A truck loaded with
explosives covered with oranges was parked outside the entrance on 4
January 1948 by members of the Zionist militant organization, Lohemai Herut
Israel (the Stern Gang). The resulting explosion destroyed the building
and killed 26 Palestinian civilians. (via Walid Khalidi, Before Their Diaspora)
Jaffa was the most advanced city in Palestine, and had approximately 70,000 Palestinian inhabitants. The U.N. assigned Jaffa to Arab Palestine in UNGAR 181 of 29 November 1947. But Jaffa was always going to be vulnerable to Zionist attack as it was an Arab enclave surrounded by Jewish Palestine, and abutted Tel Aviv, which contained the greatest concentration of Jewish population anywhere in Palestine. In the last four months of British rule, contemporary British Palestine Police and British Army records report the following Zionist attacks on the citizens of Jaffa. I have excluded from the list attacks against military targets:
1 JANUARY 1948 Lydda. 1200 hours, Jaffa. An
explosion occurred in an Arab owned block of flats in Suq El Yehud, near Manshieh
Police Station. The flats were completely demolished and
slight damage was caused to the police station. Mohammed
Ahmed Ismail, aged 20 of Manshieh Quarter, was slightly
injured in the hand by glass splinters and was discharged after
treatment. An Arab has reported to police that earlier he had
seen four Jews carrying a barrel-shaped object. CO 537/3855
1 JANUARY 1948 During the afternoon of 1 January, a bunch of Irgun Z'vai
Leumi thugs dressed in battledress and steel helmets drove at
speed through Jaffa and fired at Arabs sitting outside a cafe.
They killed two and wounded nine others before crashing
through an Arab road block and disappearing into Tel Aviv.
To emphasize the illusion that the British are responsible for
all disorder in the country, they were wearing the flashes of
the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
WO 275/64
1 JANUARY 1948 Small party of Jews entered block of flats 40 yards in rear
Shell Petrol Station, Jaffa, and placed a bomb which
demolished the block of flats. So far, 1 Arab injured by flying
debris.
WO 275/64
4 JANUARY 1948 At 12:25 p.m. two Jewish terrorists, one driving a truck
loaded with time bombs and the other driving a jeep, both as
usual in British uniforms, drove to the end of a lane between
the Arab welfare and relief centre in Jaffa housing children
and the Barclay's Bank. The truck was driven in the lane and
left there, and the driver was picked up by the jeep driver who
was waiting for him. As they drove away, the whole town was
rocked by a powerful explosion and many distant buildings
were damaged by the concussion. The welfare centre was
demolished. Seventeen Arabs were killed in this coldblooded
murderous attack and 106 were wounded. Among
those killed and seriously wounded were women and
children.
(United Nations Security Council Official Records,
Supplements - 1948).
4 JANUARY 1948 Lydda. 1240 hours, Jaffa. The Old Serrai in Clock Tower
Square which houses the offices of the Arab National Committee,
was completely destroyed by an explosion which
killed 15 and injured 98 persons. Buildings nearby including
Barclay's Bank, the Central Police Station and several shops
and houses were also extensively damaged. Full details of
how the attack was carried out are not yet available, but it is
believed the attackers arrived at the scene in two vehicles? a
3-ton truck laden with orange boxes and a saloon car.
Proceeding up Bustros Street towards Clock Tower Square?
the truck turned left into the narrow lane between Barclay's
Bank and the Old Serrai. The saloon car was seen to park
some 20 metres north of Central P.S. near the road leading to
the port area. The truck was parked at a point about 20 yards
along the above mentioned lane. Two persons, dressed as
Arabs, were seen to alight from the truck and walk across the
square. They got into the waiting car which drove off in the
direction of the Ajami Quarter. Almost immediately following
the departure of the car, the explosion occurred. Tons of
masonry from the Old Serrai building completely blocked the
land running beside it,
A fire subsequently broke out in Barclay's Bank but was
extinguished. A strong-room situated in the upper storey of
the bank was blown in and a considerable amount of money
was salvaged and taken into police custody. The entire area
was wired off to facilitate salvage operations and to prevent
looting.
It is reported from TeI Aviv that Irgun Z'vai Leumi have
claimed responsibility for this outrage.
Tension has risen to a high pitch in Jaffa as a result of this
attack, and a certain degree of anti-Government feeling has
been expressed.
Details of the casualties are as follows:-
Dead: 1) Mohammed Abdul Hallak (aged 12); 2) Abudul Sattah
Wahab Jaber (20); 3) Ali Kastika; 4) Mohammed Said Abu
Hassan (40); 5) Ahamad Derdanji (45); 6) Ahmad Hawari; 7)
Yusef Abu Sheikh (25); 8) Ahmad Faris Shehadi (25); 9)
Sa'ad Abil Majid Zein (25); 10) 15 unidentified.
Injured: 1) Said Kheber Said (25) - serious; 2) Abed
Ahmad Duknak ( 10) - serious; 3) Abed Mahmoud Shulayeh
(17) - serious; 4) Ashraf Tewfik Lufti (28) - serious; 5)
Naji Said Mughrabi - serious; 6) Mohammed Ibrahim
Mughrabi - serious; 7) Taha Abu Rabah (35) - serious; 8)
Mohammed Hassan Ibrahim (20) - serious; 9) Rasmiyeh
Saba (22) - serious; 10) Abed Mustafe Abu Wazni (30) -
serious; 11) Hishan Alami (35) - not serious; 12) Ibrahim
Mustafa Najar (25) - not serious.
All the above named are in the Dajani Hospital.
13) Huda Abu Labm (20) - not serious; 14) Said Afif
Atout (19) - not serious; 15) Rafik Salami (27) - not
serious;
The above three are in the Government Hospital,
16) Ahmad Mahmoud Taher (30) - serious; 17) Ahmad
Ahmad Nel(25) - serious; 18) Ali Hassan Ashoura (20) -
not serious; 19) Ahmad Ismail Abu Shabayeh (22) - not
serious; 20) Rais Hassan Abu Chouleh (70) - not serious.
The above-mentioned five are in the French Hospital.
Seventy-eight other persons were treated in hospitals for
slight injuries but were not detained.
CO 537/3855
8 JANUARY 1948 Lydda. 0245 hours, Jaffa. Unknown persons placed a
bomb against the house of Haj Abed El Jaber Lahloub,
situated at the western side of Beit Dajan village. The bomb
exploded causing extensive damage to the house? but no
casualties.
CO 537/3855
9 JANUARY 1948 Lydda. 0730 hours, Jaffa. Near Jaffa Railway Station; two
'buses conveying Arab railway employees to Lydda were
fired upon from automatic weapons from Jewish houses
overlooking their station. Hassan Hilu of Jaffa sustained a
slight bullet wound in the leg, and two other Arabs were
slightly injured by glass splinters.
CO 537/3855
10/11 JANUARY 1948 Gaza, 2130 hours. Shots are reported to have been fired
from a passing vehicle into an orange grove on Sawafir Sharki
lands near the main GadJaffa road. At 0800 hours on 11
January, 1948, the body of a labourer, Abdul Khader
Mohammed En Nasri of Jaffa, was found in the grove. He has
sustained bullet wounds.
CO 537/3855
14 JANUARY 1948 Lydda. 0730 hours, Jaffa. Abdul
Fattah Hassan Khalil, an employee of the Palestine Railways, was shot and injured
in the foot while walking in Jaffa Railway Station. The bullet came from the
direction of a house occupied by Jews and situated north of the station. He
was removed to the Government Hospital, Jaffa. His condition is not serious.
CO 537/3855
14 JANUARY 1948 Lydda. 1000 hours, Jaffa. Two
unidentified Arabs were shot and killed by unknown persons in Arlin Street,
Manshieh Quarter.
CO 537/3855
20 JANUARY 1948 1430 hours, Jaffa. On the Manshieh
beach, Abed Mohammed Jerieh (25) and Khader Mohammed El Jaber (201, both
of Manshieh, were hit by bullets fired from the direction of Tel Aviv. The
first named was removed to the Government Hospital, Jaffa, but was found
to be dead on arrival. Jaber was admitted to the Dajani Hospital in serious
condition.
CO 537/3855
20 JANUARY 1948 1430 hours, Jaffa. On the Manshieh
beach, Abed Mohammed Jerieh (25) and Khader Mohammed El Jaber (201, both
of Manshieh, were hit by bullets fired from the direction of Tel Aviv. The
first named was removed to the Government Hospital, Jaffa, but was found
to be dead on arrival. Jaber was admitted to the Dajani Hospital in serious
condition.
CO 537/3855
20 JANUARY 1948 1630 hours, Jaffa. In Salameh Road,
a woman, Sisteh Nesrameh (33, of Jaffa, was hit in the arm by a bullet
fired from the direction of Tel Aviv. She was admitted to the Government
Hospital, Jaffa. Her condition is not serious.
CO 537/3855
21 JANUARY 1948 Lydda. 0001 hours, Jaffa. A party of
Jews opened fire on the Municipal Slaughter House on the Jaffa/Jerusalem
road, causing no known casualties or damage. A quantity of first aid kit
and bottles containing what is believed to be an incendiary liquid were left
behind by the attackers.
CO 537/3855
21 JANUARY 1948 0900 hours, Jaffa. Following a report
that armed Jews, who had arrived in a truck, had been seen digging holes
north of Jaffa Railway Station, police found four gun emplacements and an
unexploded mortar bomb.
CO 537/3855
21 JANUARY 1948 1100 hours, Jaffa. Ten Arab houses in
Arlin Street were blown up by Jews, the explosions being followed by heavy
firing. No casualties have been reported.
CO 537/3855
21 JANUARY 1948 Jewish terrorists were seen trying
to enter certain Arab houses in the border area of Jaffa-Tel Aviv.
22 JANUARY 1948 1100 hours, Bassa Lands, Jaffa. The
following persons were shot on BassaLands by Jewish snipers, believed to
have been positioned in the vicinity of the Spirit Factory in Abu Kebir on
the JaffaIJerusalem road: Dead - Sulieman Hassan Nattar (25), of Trans-Jordan.
Seriously injured - 1) Abdul Khadar Nattar (28), of Trans-Jordan; 2) Harned
Naher Saleh Tadder (25), of Trans-Jordan; 3) Mohammed Hajeh Hijaz, of Bassa;
4) Mohammed Zafer Hijazi, of Bassa.
CO 537/3855
22 JANUARY 1948 1800 hours, Jaffa. The body of Abdul
Natif Omar (25), of Nablus, was admitted to the Government Hospital, Jaffa.
He had been shot dead by Jewish snipers near the Spirit Factory in the Abu
Kebir area.
CO 537/3855
23 JANUARY 1948 1345 hours, Jaffa. At Salama village,
Sheikh Ibrahim Moghrabi, aged 21, of Salama, sustained severe bullet wounds
in the back when fired upon by Jewish snipers.
CO 537/3855
23 JANUARY 1948 1511 hours, Jaffa. Arab traffic was fired upon from one of the Miqveh Israel
Colony orange groves, and the fire was returned by the crew of an armoured
car. No casualties have been reported.
CO 537/3855
25 JANUARY 1948 Lydda. 1145 hours, Jaffa. Two Arab
houses in Arlin Street, Manshieh Quarter, were blown up by Jews and completely
destroyed. No casualties have been reported.
CO 537/3856
25 JANUARY 1948 Lydda. 1300 hours, Jaffa. The body of
Mohammed Khalil Khalaf, aged 20 of Manshieh Quarter, who is stated to have
been killed by a bomb thrown from the Manshieh Quarter during the morning,
was admitted to the Government Hospital, Jaffa.
CO 537/3856
25 JANUARY 1948 Lydda. 1700 hours, Jaffa. The following
casualties were caused when a bomb exploded in an Arab house in Jabaliya
Quarter: Dead - Shafic El Asfar (25); Sami El Asfar (30).
CO 537/3856
27 JANUARY 1948 Lydda. 1745 hours, Jaffa. In Manshieh
Quarter, Mohammed Khalil Omar, aged 20 of Qalqiliya, was seriously wounded
in the stomach by a bullet fired by a Jewish sniper from the direction of
Tel Aviv.
CO 537/3856
1 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 1645 hours, Jaffa. Hula1 Salim (451, of Jaffa, was admitted to
the Government Hospital with a bullet wound in his side. His condition
is serious. He was shot from the direction of Tel Aviv while walking on
Bassa Lands.
CO 537/3856
1 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 1700 hours, Jaffa. Ismail Salmi Hussein (43, of Jaffa, was shot
on Bassa Lands by a bullet from the direction of Tel Aviv. He was
removed to the Government Hospital, where his condition is not serious.
2 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. Approximately 1645 hours,
Jaffa. Unknown persons blew up the houses of Mohammed Natour and Ali
Sambo, the bakeries of Abu Sbuhi El Asfour and Subhi El Asfour and an
Arab Girls' School, all situated in Hassan Bey Street. Damage is
roughly estimated at LP, 70,000.
CO 537/3856
4 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 0730 hours, Jaffa. Whilst
walking near an Arab road block on the Jerusalem road on the outskirt
of Jaffa, Ibrahim Hanna Bamdah, aged 20 of Jaffa, and a thirty-yearold
Arab woman from Jaffa named Hameeni were shot and killed by unknown
persons.
CO 537/3856
8 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 1450 hours. In the Manshieh Quarter, Naif Yusef
Saleh Ed Din of Syria, who was living in Jaffa, was shot and
slightly wounded by snipers. He was removed to the Government
Hospital where his condition is reported to be not
serious.
CO 537/3856
10 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. The house of Mohammed Salim Kalha in the
Manshieh Quarter of Jaffa was burnt and completely
destroyed by Jews. The damage is estimated at LP.8,000.
CO 537/3856
11 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 2200 hours, Jaffa. In Ajami Road, Jaffa, Yousef
Salah Ed Din (30) of Beit Rima, Ramallah Sub-District, was
shot in the head and killed by unknown persons.
CO 537/3856
12 FEBRUARY 1948 Cemeteries of all the Christian communities in Jaffa are
grouped in one locality, each having its own guard. Zionist
terrorists from the neighbouring Jewish settlement of Bath
Yom opened fire and hurled hand grenades on the Christian
cemeteries. Five Christian Arabs were killed, including three
girls aged five, eight and eleven.
United Nations Security Council Official Records,
Supplements - 1948.
12/13 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. Night, 12/13 February, 1948, Jaffa. It is reported
that the house of Eid Hasim Esh Shatra in Jebaliya Quarter
was destroyed by Jews. The damage is estimated at LP. 7,200.
CO 537/3856
13 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 1030 hours, Jaffa. A party of Jews directed fire
from three mortars at the Jaffa Railway Station Goods Yard.
The bombs exploded causing no damage or casualties. The
attack was accompanied by small arms fire for approximately
five minutes.
CO 537/3856
13 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 1300 hours, Jaffa. The following persons were !
injured when a mortar bomb struck their house in Jabaliya
Quarter: Seriously Injured - Fattah Sawan (20). Slightly
injured - Othman Sawan (12); Ina'am bint Mahmoud
Sawan; Mafeedem bint Mahmoud Sawan (10). All were
removed to the Government Hospital, Jaffa.
CO 537/3856
15 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 1230 hours, Jaffa. Three of four mortar bombs,
believed to have been fired from Tel Aviv, exploded in the
area of Jaffa Railway Station. There were no casualties.
Municipal Police replied with rifle fire with no known results. CO 537/3856
16 FEBRUARY, 1948
Lydda. 1500 hours, Jaffa. In the Jabaliya Quarter, Ihsan
Said Masri (35) of Jaffa was shot dead by a Jewish sniper from
Holon.
CO 537/3856
17 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 0030 to 0600 hours, Jaffa/T.A. border area.
Numerous explosions and automatic fire were heard from the
Abu KebirJSalameh Road and Tel Er Rish areas. No casualties
were reported. Jews were alleged to be firing from the
Hatiqva Quarter to Holon under cover of this fire.
CO 537/3856
20 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 21 30 hours, Jaffa. Abdul Mahdi El Azzar (23) of
Jebeliya Quarter was shot and killed by Jewish snipers.
CO 537/3856
22 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 1130 hours, Jaffa. In Manshieh Quarter, Ali Abu
Adwan (35) of Manshieh Quarter was shot in the head by a
Jewish sniper firing from Tel Aviv. He died in the French
Hospital at 1430 hours.
CO 537/3856
22 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 1200 hours, Jaffa. At Tel Er Rish, Kassim
Mohammed Saleh (20) of Tel Er Rish was shot by a Jewish
sniper and died from his wounds upon admission to the
French Hospital.
CO 537/3856
22 FEBRUARY 1948 1230 hours, Arab bus fired on between Jaffa and Ramle.
2 Arabs wounded.
WO 261/573
22 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 1500 hours, Jaffa. Mohammed Othman Khalil
Boutanji (22) of Dura village was shot and slightly wounded
by unknown persons on Bassa lands. He was removed to the
Dajani Hospital.
CO 537/3856
22 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 1600 hours, Jaffa. In Manshieh Quarter, Amneh
bint Sulieman El Ashi (12) of Manshieh Quarter was shot in
the abdomen and seriously wounded by unknown persons.
She succumbed to her injuries at 2130 hours in the Dajani
Hospital.
CO 537/3856
23 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 0930 hours, Jaffa. In the Jabaliya Quarter, Hassan
Hussein Saleh (3 1) of Jabaliya was wounded in the right hand
by a bullet from the direction of Bat Yam brewery. He was
slightly injured and discharged after treatment at the Govemment
Hospital, Jaffa.
CO 537/3856
23 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 1515 hours, Jaffa. In Jaffa Port, Abed Abdullah
Halabi (30) of Jaffa was shot and slightly wounded in the leg
by unknown persons. He was removed to the Government
Hospital. His condition is not serious.
CO 537/3856
25 FEBRUARY 1948 Lydda. 2200 hours, Jaffa. The body of Samis Khorub (27)
of Jabaliya Quarter was admitted to the Government Hospital.
He had been killed when a mortar bomb exploded in the
Jabaliya Quarter. Two other Arabs were at the same time
admitted to the hospital, suffering from shock caused by the
same explosion.
CO 537/3856
1 MARCH 1948 Lydda. Morning, Jaffa. In Tel Er Rish, Ahmed Mustafa
Ahmed (27) of Tel Er Rish was shot and killed by unknown
persons. His body was taken to the French Hospital, Jaffa.
CO 537/3856
2 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 0940 hours, Jaffa. Jewish snipers positioned in a
house between the Migdem Chocolate Factory and a distillery
on the Assem Bey Road commenced firing into the area
between the Jaffa/Jerusalem road and the Abu Kebir track.
An Arab woman, Aisha Hassan Sadem (45) of Jaffa, was
seriously wounded. She was removed to the Government
Hospital. A military armoured car in the vicinity was fired on.
A police armoured car returned the fire with no known result.
CO 537/3856
2 MARCH 1948 Lydda, Jaffa. Ahmed Taher of Manshiya Quarter, complains
that during recent disturbances, his house and shop in
Carmel Street were blown up and completely destroyed. The
value of the property is estimated at LP. 5,500.
CO 537/3856
4 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 0200 until 0230 hours, Jaffa. Several explosions
and heavy firing were heard from the Bassa lands area. It was
subsequently revealed that an Arab owned textile factory on
Salameh Road was blown up and completely destroyed.
There were no known casualties.
CO 537/3856
5 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 1645 hours, Jaffa. A police armoured car patrolling
the Abu Kebir area reported that a low-flying monoplane
opened fire with automatic weapons into Abu Kebir. Arab
witnesses state that this machine also dropped two grenades
in the vicinity of the Iron Foundry on the JaffaIJerusalem
road.
Mohammed Ibrahim Berbasi was admitted to the Dajani
Hospital with a bullet wound in the thigh which he stated was
caused by fire from a low-flying plane over Tel Arish.
A later account described the 'plane as being light grey or
white with R.A.F. markings on both wings, and the letters
'VOL' and some figures on the fuselage.
CO 537/3856
8 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 0700 hours, Jaffa. Ahmed Arhan Abu Fammad
(32) of Tell Er Rish, who was admitted to the French Hospital
at 0500 hours, suffering from wounds received from an
exploding mortar bomb in the Tell Er Rish quarter, succumbed
to his injuries. The bomb is said to have been fired
from the direction of Holon.
CO 537/3856
8 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 0930 hours, Jaffa. Mohammed Abdullah Yanani
(30) of Jaffa, was shot and fatally injured in Arlin Street,
Manshieh, by a Jewish sniper. The body was removed to the
Dajani Hospital.
CO 537/3856
8 MARCH 1948 Lydda. Approximately 2200 hours, Jaffa. Hassan Khalil
Sarkoury (26) of Jebeliya Quarter was injured in the right
shoulder when a bomb was thrown by Jews on the Bat
Yam/Jebeliya border. He was removed to the Government
Hospital, Jaffa. His condition is not serious.
CO 537/3856
9 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 0930 hours, Jaffa. In the Jabaliyeh Quarter, Shafiq
Ahmed (22) was wounded in the head by splinters believed
to have been caused by a mortar bomb. He was removed to
Government Hospital, condition not serious.
CO 537/3856
10 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 1510 hours, Jaffa. Arabs employed at the iron
foundry situated on the JaffaIJerusalem road near Holon were
fired upon by Jews from the direction of Miqve Israel colony.
The Arabs returned the fire, which ceased when police armoured
cars appeared on the scene. There were no casualties.
CO 537/3856
13/14 MARCH 1948 Jerusalem. Night, Jaffa. On Bassa lands, the ice factory of
Hassan Tewfic Abu Ghazaleh, of Jaffa, was attacked by Jews,
with mortars and small arms fire. The factory watchman,
Ibrahim Getani (22) of Jaffa, was slightly injured and
removed to the Dejani Hospital. The building was partly
demolished, damage being estimated at approximately LP.
6,000.
CO 537/3856
14 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 0130 hours, Jaffa. In the Abu Kebir Quarter, Ali
Hassan el Weish (23) of that quarter was killed by snipers.
His body was removed to the Government Hospital, Jaffa.
CO 537/3856
16 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 1530 hours, Jaffa. In Tel er Rish Yousef Ali Abdul
Khalil(26), of Mi'ilya village, was shot and fatally wounded
by snipers from the Holon area. His body was removed to the
Government Hospital, Jaffa.
CO 537/3856
18 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 1430 hours, Jaffa. On Bassa lands, Ahmed Hussein
Tustani (35), of Hebron, was shot and fatally wounded by a
sniper from the direction of Tel Aviv. The body was removed
to the Dajani Hospital.
CO 537/3856
18 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 1500 hours, Jaffa. The body of Said Butros (25) of
Tel er Rish was admitted to the French Hospital in Jaffa. He
had been killed by snipers' bullets in Tel er Rish.
CO 537/3856
18 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 1630 hours, Jaffa. Jews blew up eight unoccupied
Arab houses in Arlin Street, Manshieh Quarter. They also
fired at the Manshieh Police Station and at a police armoured
car which approached the scene. The fire was returned by the
police, but there were no known casualties.
CO 537/3856
19 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 1030 hours, Tel Aviv. A Jewish snipers' position
in Abu Kebir Quarter directed moderate automatic fire into
Salama Road, Jaffa. A police arrnoured car proceeded to the
scene at approximately 1 100 hours, and the area then became
quiet. No casualties have been reported.
CO 537/3856
22/23 MARCH 1948 Lydda. Between 2350 hours 22 March, 1948, and 0145
hours 23 March, 1948, Jaffa. Jebeliya Quarter was attacked
by Jews. During the course of the attack, eleven houses and
a small mosque were demolished, believed by mortars. The
following casualties were admitted to the Government Hospital
from the quarter on the morning of 23 March, 1948:
Seriously Injured- Dahiel Eissa Ed Dibis (45); Mohammed
Marouf El Kaban (35); Abdul Fattah Samara (27).
CO 537/3857
23 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 1130 hours, Jaffa. Jewish snipers near Bassa lands
commenced firing into King George Avenue, Jaffa. Two
Arabs were killed, Ali Darwish Wazieh (12) of Jaffa and
Hassan Muharram (30) of Jaffa.
At approximately 1230 hours, the Jewish snipers post was
silenced by military using two pounders.
CO 537/3857
24 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 0230 hours, Jaffa. Several heavy mortar bombs
fired from the direction of Tel Aviv in the area of the Hassan
Bey Mosque. Some damage was caused to the surrounding
wall of the Mosque and to a nearby house. No casualties have
been reported.
CO 537/3857
24 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 1500 hours, Jaffa. Ahmed Sabri el Rehawi (20) of
Syria, was slightly wounded in the leg by a bullet fired by
unknown persons near the Bat Yam Mental Home. He was
admitted to the Government Hospital.
CO 537/3857
24 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 1935 hours, Jaffa. Jews from Abu Kebir opened
fire with mortars on the flour mill in Salama Road. Arabs
replied and firing was still continuing at 2000 hours. No
further details are yet available.
CO 537/3857
25 MARCH 1948 Lydda. 1600 hours, Jaffa. Ali Morffi el Rahidi (35) of
Egypt was admitted to the Government Hospital suffering
from a bullet wound in the back which he sustained when a
Jewish armoured car fired at him in Zarmuqa village. His
condition is serious.
CO 537/3857
25 MARCH 1948 Lydda, Jaffa. The house of Farid Jaber in Karton Quarter
was destroyed by fire in unknown circumstances. The
damage caused is estimated at L.P. 5,000.
On the same day at Jaber's orange grove, situated in
Salameh village, damage estimated at L.P. 13,000 is stated to
have been caused by Jews using explosive charges.
CO 537/3857
1 APRIL 1948
Lydda. 0955 hours, Jaffa. A mortar bomb, believed to have been fired
from Bat Yam, exploded on the house of Assad El Dejani, near Ajami P.S.
Slight damage was sustained by the building, but no casualties were
caused.
CO 537/3857
1 APRIL 1948 Lydda, Jaffa. Salim
Rajab Sha'aban El Moghrabi reports that his house on the Bat
YamlJebeliya border was demolished by Jewish mortar fire.
CO 537/3857
2 APRIL 1948
Lydda. 1700 hours, Jaffa. Ali Abu Hajas (30), of Manshieh Quarter, was
shot and seriously wounded by Jewish snipers in Arlin Street. He was
removed to the Dajani Hospital.
CO 537/3857
3 APRIL 1948
Lydda. 0700 hours, Jaffa. Mohammed Ahmed Eissa (291, of Egypt, was shot
and slightly injured by Jewish snipers in the Karm Et Tut area. He was
removed to the Government Hospital, Jaffa.
CO 537/3857
3 APRIL 1948
Lydda. 1100 hours, Jaffa. Four mortar bombs, believed to have been
fired from Tel Aviv area, and one mine exploded in the Suq El Yehud
causing damage to unoccupied property. The exploding of the mine is
believed to have been detonated by one of the bombs. No casualties have
been reported.
CO 537/3857
3 APRIL 1948 Lydda. Night,
Jaffa. An Arab house, situated in the Jebaliyeh Quarter of Jaffa, was
blown up and extensively damaged by Jews and an occupant, Fathmi Shlean
(68), was killed.
CO 537/3857
3 APRIL 1948 Lydda,
Jaffa. Mohammed Ahmed Eissa, of Kami Et Tut, was shot and seriously
injured, by unknown persons, whilst in his village. He was removed to
the Government Hospital, Jaffa, where he died shortly after admission.
CO 537/3857
6 APRIL 1948 Lydda. 1630 hours, Jaffa. Jews opened fire on swimmers
near the Jaffa Club. The following casualties were caused:
Dead - Subhi Ibn Adib Jabour (27), of Jaffa. Serious -
Mohammed Ibn Akawi (12), of Jaffa. Slight - Mohammed
Mahmoud Kana'an (20), of Jaffa. CO 537/3857
8 APRIL 1948
Lydda. 0 100 hours, Jaffa. Jews opened mortar fire on the
Manshieh Quarter and bombs fell near the Manshieh Police
Station and in the Jaffa railway yard. A municipal policeman,
No. 1 13, Abdullah Eissa Salim (26), of Jaffa, was slightly
injured by splinters whilst on duty in the Suq el Yehud. A
house in the railway yard was destroyed, and Hassan Abu
Shimes (35), of Manshieh, was seriously injured. Three mortar
bombs exploded in the vicinity of the C.S. Jaffa, and the
following two Arabs were injured: Deeb Ahmed Hamed (60),
of Jaffa - serious; Yousef Abu Jabrin Bader (25), of Jaffa
- not serious.
CO 537/3857
10 APRIL 1948
Lydda. 1445 hours, Jaffa. Ahmed Abu Kalim (23), of
Manshieh Quarter, was shot and seriously wounded by
Jewish snipers whilst in Qaswan Street. He was removed to
the Dajani Hospital.
CO 537/3857
10 APRIL 1948
Lydda. 1730 hours, Jaffa. Moussa Madon (23), of Ajami
Quarter, was shot and killed and Lutfi Ghawi (25), also of
Ajami, was slightly wounded while they were walking in El
Lisaf Street. Both were hit by shots fired from the direction
of the Railway Station and were removed to the French
Hospital.
CO 537/3857
10 APRIL 1948
Lydda. 1810 hours, Jaffa. Mohammed Abdul Rahman
Jainaf (55), of Jaffa, was shot and slightly injuredin Manshieh
Quarter by a Jewish sniper. He was removed to the French
Hospital, Jaffa.
CO 537/3857
14 APRIL 1948
0230 hours to 0600 hours, 14 April, Jews mortared Jaffa,
particularly Manshiya Quarter. No known casualty.
WO 275/66
25 APRIL 1948
Irgun Z'vai Leumi attack Jaffa. Army intervenes and
fighting stops. Approximately fifty Arab casualties.
Jews blow two gaps in the bridge at Jisr al Majami.
Army reoccupies Sheikh Jarrah, meeting initial resistance
from Hagana, but later a truce is negotiated and both sides
ordered cease fire. Two Jews killed and two wounded. Four
British Soldiers slightly wounded.
Jews attack At Tireh, south of Haifa.
WO 261/574
26 APRIL 1948
1030 hours, 26 April, 2 R IR F road block at Jaffa congested
by Arab lorries and buses carrying refugees. Congestion
cleared and traffic passing road block estimated at rate
of 20 vehicles per hour. Refugees fired on by Jewish sniper
as they moved off. No casualty.
WO 275/66
26 APRIL 1948
At 1135 hours, 26th April, there was heavy mortaring of
Manshieh Quarter, Jaffa, and Manshieh Police Station was
attacked by Jews with arrnoured cars, grenades and small
arms. No casualties yet reported.
CO 733/477
26 APRIL 1948
Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Jews attacked Arab quarter Jaffa with
mortars and automatics and penetrated as far as the railway
station. The Mayor of Tel Aviv was told that unless attack
was stopped, military would employ force. This had the
desired effect, and the situation is now quiet. Fifty Arab
civilians are believed killed.
CO 537/3875
Our brethren are right when they say that the Arab honours only
those who show valour and fortitude;
On 24 April 1948, the Irgun militant Zionist organization opened an attack on the Manshiyeh residential quarter of Jaffa, a narrow Palestinian suburb located beside the sea and largely surrounded by Tel Aviv. For four days and nights, under the direction of Menachem Begin, the Irgun indiscriminately shelled the quarter with mortars.
Hansard, the official record of proceedings in the U.K. Parliament, reported:
"On the 5th of May, 1948, the question
of the attack by the
Irgun Z'vai Leumi on Jaffa was raised. The Secretary of State
for the Colonies was asked whether he had any statement to make on the
present situation in Jaffa. Mr. Rees-Williams, the
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies answered as follows:
In the
early hours of 28th [sic] April a heavy attack on the Arab
town of Jaffa was made by the Irgun Zvai Leumi, the method
adopted being an indiscriminate mortar bombardment, apparently
designed to create panic among the civilian inhabitants.
British forces intervened, supported by aircraft, and
in the course of the afternoon the Jews retired to their original
positions. By nightfall the border was quiet except for occasional
sniping. A cease-fire was ordered for both sides by
the military commander and was observed. British troops then
occupied a line between Arabs and Jews on the Tel-Aviv-
Jaffa border. On the evening of 30th April, the cease-fire order
was broken by fire from the Jewish side, which was quickly
silenced by military action. Latest reports indicate that the
town is now quiet. As a rough estimate, some 30,000 Arabs
left Jaffa and more are leaving. The Arab mayor is still in Jaffa
and municipal services are functioning, although with difficulty... ". (Hansard, House of Commons Debates, May 5, 1948, p. 1238).
The day after the Irgun offensive began, Haganah troops launched Operation Chametz against Jaffa, to isolate and conquer the city.
Jaffa, Palestine: Irgunists moving through holes blasted in Palestinian houses. (via Walid Khalidi, Before Their Diaspora)
but this is the case only when he
feels that the other side has justice on his side.
Jaffa, Palestine: The ruins of the Manshiyeh quarter, after indiscriminate bombardment by the Irgun.
It is very different
in a case when [the Arab] thinks that his opponent's actions are
iniquitous and unlawful;
Jaffa, Palestine: Palestinian residents salvage whatever possessions they can carry as they flee the city. (via Walid Khalidi, Before Their Diaspora)
By the end of April, the combined Haganah-Irgun offensive had
completely encircled Jaffa. Three weeks earlier, the Irgun had attacked the Palestinian village of Deir Yassin. The civilian population of Jaffa was well aware of what had happened to the inhabitants of Deir Yassin when the Irgun overran their village, and fear that the same would happen at the fall of Jaffa was influential on the decision of many residents to flee:
"We all heard about the massacre. I remember that I read extensive
coverage of the horrors in our press, which republished a story from
the New York Times. Besides this terrifying news, the Arabs in Jaffa
feared they would not be able to defend their honour if they were
attacked by the Jews. They were afraid that their women would be
subject to the humiliation of Deir Yassin. I was young, but I sensed
just how much this worried the people in Jaffa. Having four sisters was
enough reason for us to leave, as the Jews considered everything and
everyone in the villages they invaded as theirs".
in that case he may keep his anger to himself
for a long time,
Jaffa, Palestine: Palestinians driven into the sea at Jaffa Harbor, late April 1948. With the land routes cut off by the Haganah, tens of thousands of the citizens of Jaffa and neighboring villages fled by boat: south to Gaza and Egypt, and north to Lebanon. (via Walid Khalidi, Before Their Diaspora)
but it will dwell in his heart
Jaffa Harbor, Palestine: Palestinian refugees flee Jaffa by boat for Gaza, Apr-May 1948. By the time Jaffa finally fell on 13 May 1948, fewer than 4,000 of its 70,000 residents remained.
and in the long run he
will prove himself to be vengeful and full of retribution.
Jaffa, Israel: Jewish refugees from Europe are resettled in ethnically-cleansed Jaffa, 1949.
Sources:
1. The text, "We tend to believe abroad...", is from the work of the Zionist writer Ahad Ha'Am, (Truth from the Land of
Israel, 1891). Reproduced in Complete Works of
Ahad Ha'am, (Tel Aviv, 1946), pp. 24-29. (h/t Angry Arab)
2. Unless otherwise noted, the photos are from Palestine Remembered, and should not be reused without attribution to that site.
3. Details of attacks on Jaffa, Jan to Apr 1948, are taken from the Encyclopedia of the Palestine Problem; available on-line here. The alphanumeric reference number at the end of each report refers to the file number under which the original source material is archived at the U.K. National Archives (formerly the Public Records Office) in Kew, London:
- CO 537/3855 = Confidential reports from the British
Criminal Investigation Dept (C.I.D.) to the U.K. Colonial Office on
Outrages in Palestine, 1947-48.
- CO 537/3856: Confidential reports from the British
Criminal Investigation Dept (C.I.D.) to the U.K. Colonial Office on
Outrages in Palestine, Feb-Mar 1948.
- WO 261/573: Confidential quarterly reports from British Army H.Q. in Palestine to the U.K. War Office, Jan-Mar 1948.
- WO 275/64: Confidential fortnightly newsletters from
the H.Q. of the British Sixth Airborne Division in Palestine to the
U.K. War Office, Mar 1947-May 1948.
- CO 537/3857: Confidential reports from the British
Criminal Investigation Dept (C.I.D.) to the U.K. Colonial Office on
Outrages in Palestine, Mar-Apr 1948.
