#hebron massacre

[secular-jew]

Truth

[jewish-microwave-laser]

on the shabbat night of august 23, 1929, and into the following day (18 av 5689), riots broke out in the city of hebron (khevron/al-khalil) in response to disinformation spread that jews in british mandate palestine were going to take over the haram el-sharif/temple mount [1], which was building off a feeling of societal imbalance following the recent influx of ashenazim who had emigrated there to attend the sladboka yeshiva four years before [2]. this disinformation was fomented by outright calls for violence by many religious and bureaucratic leaders of the area [3]. rabbi ya'akov slonim and a sefardic rabbi named franko tried to ask for help in the hours before, fearing the worst, but they were turned away [4]

the massacre began with arab youths throwing rocks at a group of jewish yeshiva students, with the first death occurring that night when some of those youths broke into the yeshiva to find shmuel rozenholtz, age 23, alone and studying, and killed him as he read [5]

the group went house to house, killing and mutilating and raping as many jews as they could come upon. at one point, they approached the son rabbi slonim, eliezer dan slonim, and told him that if he agreed to hand over all the ashkenazi yeshiva students who were sheltering in his house, then they would spare the sefardim from their attacks [6]. slonim, who was well known in the community for being an activist for improving the relations between the arab and jewish populations in the region, responded "we jews are one," and refused [7]. he and about 40 other jews (who had been davening (praying) at the time) were killed in that home [5]

at the end of the massacre, almost 70 jews lay dead (the counts are usually either 67 or 69, depending), and countless more were gravely wounded and raped, and many were left with life-altering mental and/or physical injuries from the event. this event marked the end of the mostly peaceful coexistence between arabs and jews in the city (though it was by no means a utopia) that had gone on for hundreds of years. it is important to remember, however, that "some 400 jews were saved by their arab neighbors" [8]

may the memories of those whose lives were lost on that day, and of the survivors of the massacre who have died since, be for a blessing to us all

[1] https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/this-week-in-jewish-history--massacre-in-hebron-kills-67-8-3-2020

[2] https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-756156

[3] https://www.nli.org.il/en/newspapers/plb/1929/09/08/01/article/11/?e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxTI--------------1%5d

[4] http://pdfs.jta.org/1929/1929-09-01_1455.pdf - let me know if you can't read this and i'll transcribe the article for you

[5] http://en.hebron.org.il/history/1270 - oded avisar, who compiled the first hand testimonies written out here, uses some words that would not be considered proper today to describe the arab perpetrators. this source also has some very graphic descriptions and photos of what happened. if any of that is something that may bother you it may be a good idea to look over this source

[6] https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-hebron-massacre-of-1929

[7] http://en.hebron.org.il/history/520

[8] yossi klein halevi, letters to my palestinian neighbor, pg 77

[girlactionfigure]

[chinesegal]

"This is a free translation of a Yiddish transcript of a taped interview made some 30 years ago with the late Rabbi Boruch Kaplan, who was a principal of the Beis Yaakov Girls School in Brooklyn, and who was a student in the Hebron yeshiva (religious school) in 1929 at the time of the killing of a number of Jews by some Arabs. Rabbi Kaplan explains how events unfolded, and how it was the arrogant and cowardly Zionists who perpetrated the events by provoking the Arabs. He also adds some comments about events at the time he recounted this story, some 30 years ago."

[psychologeek]

not to mention that. Uh. Jews were literally CONSTANTLY MURDERED.

recent mentions?

Hi, do you remember the jewish community in Gaza? the area of Nosirat used to be Jewish. There was an acient Synaguge there since 5th century CE.

There is no longer Jewish community in Gaza city.

There hasn't been one since 1929, as a literal mob raided the town attempting to murder jews.

[They survived. One respected Hamula sheltered the community for a short time, until british policemen came and evacuated everyone to the train and immediatlly to Lod.]

"But Psy," I can hear ppl say, "that was overreacting. Obviosly, their friends and neighbours couldn't REALLY try to kill everyone!"

feel free to look up what happened in Hebron. The massacre and the frankly horrific stories and photos.

1929 was the end of the jewish yishuv in Gaza. The end of the jewish Yishuv in Hebron (until 1967).

Uh, and if you still consider it an anacdote:

1929 was 19 years before 1948. Which means, during the Israeli war of independence? people were literally fighting for their life, and for their families. Those were the children and babies of 1929, who grew up in the aftermath. Who knew EXACTLY what a neighbour might do to you.

[Mordechai Maklef, the 3rd high-commander of the IDF, was 9 years old when he watched his family slaughtered. He jumped out of the window, and survived.]

btw if you accuse Jews who don't want the total destruction of Israel of "wanting an ethnostate" while also advocating for the mass exodus of Israelis to Europe to create a united Palestinian nation...you support an ethnostate.

[eretzyisrael]

On this day 94 years ago, the Hebron massacre, in which almost 70 Jews were brutally murdered in 1929, began.

The attack resulted in the complete ethnic cleansing of Jewish people from the city. Far too often, the world forgets that terrorism against Jews in their homeland and holy cities began long before the establishment of the modern State of Israel.

May the memories of those murdered forever be a blessing.

StandWithUs

[girlactionfigure]

Heartbreaking: This picture depicts a small child whose family members were murdered in the Hebron massacre of August 24th, 1929. Nearly 70 Jews were brutally killed during this attack, leading to the complete ethnic cleansing of Jewish people from the city. Today, we remember the lives that were stolen and forever altered by this heinous act of violence.

May the memories of the victims forever be a blessing.

StandWithUs

[tamamita]

Three months after the Hebron Massacre in 1929, historian Hans Kohn (1891-1971), who was active in the Zionist movement from 1909 onwards, wrote the following letter:

[papasmoke]

My name is Ruwa Romman, and I’m honored to be the first Palestinian elected to public office in the great state of Georgia and the first Palestinian to ever speak at the Democratic National Convention. My story begins in a small village near Jerusalem, called Suba, where my dad’s family is from. My mom’s roots trace back to Al Khalil, or Hebron. My parents, born in Jordan, brought us to Georgia when I was eight, where I now live with my wonderful husband and our sweet pets.

Growing up, my grandfather and I shared a special bond. He was my partner in mischief—whether it was sneaking me sweets from the bodega or slipping a $20 into my pocket with that familiar wink and smile. He was my rock, but he passed away a few years ago, never seeing Suba or any part of Palestine again. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him.

This past year has been especially hard. As we’ve been moral witnesses to the massacres in Gaza, I’ve thought of him, wondering if this was the pain he knew too well. When we watched Palestinians displaced from one end of the Gaza Strip to the other I wanted to ask him how he found the strength to walk all those miles decades ago and leave everything behind. 

But in this pain, I’ve also witnessed something profound—a beautiful, multifaith, multiracial, and multigenerational coalition rising from despair within our Democratic Party. For 320 days, we’ve stood together, demanding to enforce our laws on friend and foe alike to reach a ceasefire, end the killing of Palestinians, free all the Israeli and Palestinian hostages, and to begin the difficult work of building a path to collective peace and safety. That’s why we are here—members of this Democratic Party committed to equal rights and dignity for all. What we do here echoes around the world.

They’ll say this is how it’s always been, that nothing can change. But remember Fannie Lou Hamer—shunned for her courage, yet she paved the way for an integrated Democratic Party. Her legacy lives on, and it’s her example we follow.

But we can’t do it alone. This historic moment is full of promise, but only if we stand together. Our party’s greatest strength has always been our ability to unite. Some see that as a weakness, but it’s time we flex that strength. 

Let’s commit to each other, to electing Vice President Harris and defeating Donald Trump who uses my identity as a Palestinian as a slur. Let’s fight for the policies long overdue—from restoring access to abortions to ensuring a living wage, to demanding an end to reckless war and a ceasefire in Gaza. To those who doubt us, to the cynics and the naysayers, I say, yes we can—yes we can be a Democratic Party that prioritizes funding our schools and hospitals, not for endless wars. That fights for an America that belongs to all of us—Black, brown, and white, Jews and Palestinians, all of us, like my grandfather taught me, together.

I want to be clear,” Romman said. “We’ve been in negotiations for days. This did not just come up…We’ve been talking about this for at least a week. In addition, the campaign told us that not getting a ‘no’ [initially upon first hearing the request] was a really good sign. For them to give us a ‘no’ the same day that Geoff Duncan [a Republican from Georgia] was on the stage—especially when it was my name—was just absolutely a slap in the face.”

[takami-takami]

The Uncommitted Movement and Uncommitted Delegates have been petitioning to have just one Palestinian-American speak at the DNC for months; among a sea of speakers, including a random border patrol agent, Trump voters, and the CEO of Uber.

They were told three words and no other explanation: "It's a no."

The delegates and Palestine protesters have been working tirelessly to get the DNC to rescind this decision on the last day of the convention and apply pressure. There is only one ethnic background that is not allowed to speak at the DNC, and that is Palestinians.

Georgia State Representative Ruwa Romman is at the top of the list of Palestinian democrats that were offered— of which the Uncommitted Movement and delegates generously offered the DNC to take their pick.

In case they don't let her speak, this is her speech.

"My name is Ruwa Romman, and I’m honored to be the first Palestinian elected to public office in the great state of Georgia and the first Palestinian to ever speak at the Democratic National Convention. My story begins in a small village near Jerusalem, called Suba, where my dad’s family is from. My mom’s roots trace back to Al Khalil, or Hebron. My parents, born in Jordan, brought us to Georgia when I was eight, where I now live with my wonderful husband and our sweet pets.

Growing up, my grandfather and I shared a special bond. He was my partner in mischief—whether it was sneaking me sweets from the bodega or slipping a $20 into my pocket with that familiar wink and smile. He was my rock, but he passed away a few years ago, never seeing Suba or any part of Palestine again. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him.

This past year has been especially hard. As we’ve been moral witnesses to the massacres in Gaza, I’ve thought of him, wondering if this was the pain he knew too well. When we watched Palestinians displaced from one end of the Gaza Strip to the other I wanted to ask him how he found the strength to walk all those miles decades ago and leave everything behind. 

But in this pain, I’ve also witnessed something profound—a beautiful, multifaith, multiracial, and multigenerational coalition rising from despair within our Democratic Party. For 320 days, we’ve stood together, demanding to enforce our laws on friend and foe alike to reach a ceasefire, end the killing of Palestinians, free all the Israeli and Palestinian hostages, and to begin the difficult work of building a path to collective peace and safety. That’s why we are here—members of this Democratic Party committed to equal rights and dignity for all. What we do here echoes around the world.

They’ll say this is how it’s always been, that nothing can change. But remember Fannie Lou Hamer—shunned for her courage, yet she paved the way for an integrated Democratic Party. Her legacy lives on, and it’s her example we follow.

But we can’t do it alone. This historic moment is full of promise, but only if we stand together. Our party’s greatest strength has always been our ability to unite. Some see that as a weakness, but it’s time we flex that strength. 

Let’s commit to each other, to electing Vice President Harris and defeating Donald Trump who uses my identity as a Palestinian as a slur. Let’s fight for the policies long overdue—from restoring access to abortions to ensuring a living wage, to demanding an end to reckless war and a ceasefire in Gaza. To those who doubt us, to the cynics and the naysayers, I say, yes we can—yes we can be a Democratic Party that prioritizes funding our schools and hospitals, not for endless wars. That fights for an America that belongs to all of us—Black, brown, and white, Jews and Palestinians, all of us, like my grandfather taught me, together."

[girlactionfigure]

Palestinian Arabs Never Welcomed Jews

There's a lie that needs to go: Palestinian Arabs welcomed Jews after the Holocaust and the ungrateful refugees backstabbed them and stole their land. 

This is an absolute fantasy. When the Holocaust started, the Palestinians didn't offer to help the Jews. They offered to help the Nazis.

In fact, at no point in history did the Palestinian Arabs were anything but hostile to the Jews.

Mandatory Palestine was created by the British in 1920. In that year alone there were many murderous attacks against Jews. The violence against Jews has only gotten worse throughout the history of the Mandate. 

Some famous attacks include:

March 1, 1920, 9 Jews murdered in Tel Hai

April 4, 1920, 5 Jews murdered, over 200 wounded in Jerusalem

May 1, 1921, 47 Jews murdered, 140 wounded in Jaffa

24 August, 1929, 67 Jews murdered, 58 injured in Hebron

29 August, 1929, 18 Jews murdered, 80 wounded in Safed

2 October 1938, 19 Jews murdered (including 11 children)

During the war, there were pogroms all over the Arab world, including the Farhud, a murderous pogrom in Baghdad in which hundreds of Jews were murdered, over a thousand were raped or mutilated, and 900 homes were looted. 

As you can see from this 1936 front page of Falastin (notice it refers to Palestine Arabs, not Palestinians), the Arabs weren't too hot on the Jews coming to the region. They certainly didn't offer any kind of shelter to persecuted Jews.

Arabs have abused and murdered Jews in the region before 1920 as well, except that it wasn’t called Palestine by the Ottoman rulers.

As one 19th century traveler remarked: 

"I have seen a little fellow of six years old, with a troop of fat toddlers of only three and four, teaching [them] to throw stones at a Jew. And one little urchin would, with the greatest coolness, waddle up to the man and literally spit upon his Jewish gaberdine. To all this the Jew is obliged to submit; it would be more than his life was worth to offer to strike a Mahommedan." 

Maybe Zionism is to blame?

The first Zionist congress took place in 1897. A pogrom against Jews in Safed took place in 1834. How prescient of the wise Palestinian resistance to the occupation to strike against Zionism over 60 years before it started! 

But wait! There was also a pogrom in Safed in 1660, and in 1517... Come to think of it, didn’t the first Muslim massacre of Jews took place in 627 when Muhammad massacred the Banu Qurayza in a heroic battle in which 2 Muslims and 900 Jews were killed?

Seems like Zionism isn’t the problem, after all.

Maybe the kind and welcoming folks of Palestine are just vicious bigots? Nah, that’s impossible! They were the most peaceful, honest, and loving people on the planet before 1947 when they suddenly became the world’s #1 exporters of terrorism…

So please, spare us your lies. 

You always hated Jews, always mistreated Jews, and you never welcomed them in Palestine.

URI KURLIANCHIK

MAR 26

[fairuzfan]

I don't take many people seriously when they talk about al-Khalil (or hebron) and its history because my grandpa lived and was from Al-Khalil and his dad kept a diary of his time as a teacher teaching across Palestine. But anyways I asked my grandpa once for stories about how he grew up in AlKhalil before the Nakba and he was like "my father insisted on taking me to Jewish dentists and when I'd walk home from school/activities, my Jewish neighbors would ask me to turn on their lamps for Shabbat" which sounds like not a big deal but when you put it in the context of the prevailing Israeli narrative of "Palestinians hated Jews" then you can easily disprove those claims because I have literal family stories of Medani Palestinians actually having relationships with Palestinian Jews. I'm not trying to say there were no instances or violence against Jews, there were and it'd be wrong to say otherwise, but to say that Palestinians uniformly hated Jews is wrong and many (Arab+Sephardi) Jews identified back then as Palestinian and were in community with Palestinian Muslims and Christians. So it's like when people bring up the 1929 massacre in Hebron, I know it's completely removed from any actual analysis of what Al-Khalil was like back then and the external factors that played into the massacres happening PLUS not mentioning the Muslims and Christians who were AGAINST the massacres and the forced division that was happening between the Jewish community and the nonJewish community.

[eimearkuopio]

question, could you tell me, with your admittedly limited knowledge, how the hebron massacre started, why Jews were not allowed to ride horses pre 48 Palestine/israel, and why North Africa set up concentration camps for Jews during the Second World War ? Thx :)

Child, I am not here to list random facts for your amusement. I am offering you perspective and understanding. If you don't want those things because you still believe you're the only person in the world ever to grieve or mourn, I can't help you. I hope your future is brighter than whatever past has led you here.

[zachthoughtstm]

I hate the whole argument of “It didn’t start on October 7th.”

Look up The Hebron Massacre of 1929.

But they’re right it hasn’t started on October 7th. But this WAR did. This is where we are right now and if you’re going to sit and complain wa wa it didn’t start on October 7th. Maybe if you truly cared about the Palestinians you wouldn’t be supporting Hamas.

Who started the war?

Hamas

Who is hiding in civilian infrastructure instead of militant zones?

Hamas

Who is holding 100+ hostages?

Hamas

You guys are always so quick to blame Israel but don’t look at the bigger picture.

[gaia-aviva]

And this was only one example. A decade earlier, Jewish battalions serving as part of the Royal Fusiliers helped General Allenby liberate Palestine from the Turks. The British reneged on their promise to give these Jewish soldiers land after the war, and in fact kept them from being decommissioned because although the Jewish battalions weren’t needed once the war was over, keeping them under British control ensured that the Jews of Palestine would remain defenseless. A group of these soldiers were doing a training exercise in Jaffa when the rumblings of a riot began; the British immediately stopped the training exercise and transferred the Jewish soldiers out of the area so they couldn’t help protect civilians.

The British-Arab colonial project continued in this manner until the Jews won independence for both—though the Palestinian Arabs rejected their half of the offer.

The Amsterdam police were simply continuing a long tradition of malign neglect of duty whenever Jews are threatened. It was the norm until 1948, even in Eretz Yisrael. You can see why “anti-Zionism” remains popular in Europe; it is simply nostalgia for unfettered pogroms.

‘There was no security, by design, for the Jews’

In the wake of the Amsterdam ‘pogrom’ against fans of the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv when the police were absent or ineffectual, John Podhoretz in Commentary claims that the classic characteristic of a pogrom is police inaction or complicity. This is what happened in the Hebron pogrom of 1929. He could also have been describing the Constantine pogrom of 1934 (the forces of law and order did not arrive until hours later), the Farhud of 1941 (policemen were complicit and the British army stood by), or the Aden riots of 1947 (British-armed Arabs shot 87 Jews).

A Jewish home in Hebron plundered by the rioters

What must be stressed is the fact that the Jewish people had never been safe from official complicity in pogroms until the state of Israel’s founding. This is what pogroms looked like in the Land of Israel too, until the establishment of Jewish sovereignty and a Jewish army.

Although it’s trendy to believe (or pretend to believe) that the Jews were a colonial power in Palestine, the exact opposite is true. When the British Mandate for Palestine was established, UK authorities had simply inherited the existing structure of the Ottoman police force, which was mostly Arab. In the mid-1920s, the police force was reformed and split between a British section and a much larger Palestinian section. Arabs made up 75 percent of the officer corps of the Palestinian section and 80 percent of all other ranks. This imbalance was even more pronounced in some cities.

As the 1929 Palestine pogrom spread to Hebron, the chief rabbi’s son, Eliezer Slonim was told by the town’s police chief and district governor that the Jews would be safe so long as they stayed inside. Journalist Yardena Schwartz describes the scene: “Eliezer went from house to Jewish house, joined by the city’s lone Jewish policeman, Chanoch Brozinsky, and Feivel Epstein, son of the head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Epstein. None of them were armed. Brozinsky’s rifle had been confiscated that day, presumably because [police chief] Cafferata feared he might shoot the rioters. The 32 other policemen on Cafferata’s force were Arabs. Their guns had not been taken. Slonim, the only other Jew with a gun in Hebron, had never used it before.”

Thirty-three police officers: 32 Arabs and one Jew. The Jew was disarmed because there was a pogrom about to happen. Arab policemen watched the slaughter, with some joining in. Over in Jerusalem, Jewish self-defense units were kept out or arrested by the British authorities while the rioters and police let loose.

The institutional colonial regime was Arab and British, and so—as in Amsterdam yesterday—there was no security, by design, for the Jews.

Read article in full

More about  the Hebron massacre