| Coexisting with the “Palestinians” |
31 |
bIn many towns, “committees for the defense of the Burak,”
bwere formed. On November 1, 1928, the Mufti convened a “re-
bligious” conference, which demanded that Jews be prevented
bfrom bringing religious items to the Wall. The Mufti added his
bpious wish that the British enforce this “in order that the
bMuslims themselves not be forced to enact measures to defend at
ball costs this Muslim holy place.”
bFor months the Muslims resorted to various measures to
bharass the Jews at the Wall. New houses began to be built that
binterfered with and disturbed the prayers. A new “religious rit-
bual” known as Ziker was introduced. It involved loud chanting,
bsinging, and dancing with a background of drums and cymbals
b—to be performed exactly at Jewish prayer time. On 25 Tam-
bmuz (August 2, 1929) Jews were attacked and badly beaten at
bthe Wall.
bJewish horror was hardly helped through the stupid com-
bment by the socialist writer Moshe Beilinson, who called for
bJewish “moderation” and calm, saying: “The value of the Wall
bis great but let us not forget: Of central importance to the revival
bof the nation are other values of immigration, work, land.” Thus
bspoke a socialist Jewish spokesman and a not-too-clever one at
bthat. The Mufti could only smile.
bOn Friday, 10 Av (August 16), thousands of Muslims, leav-
bing prayers at the Al-Aksa mosque, marched past the wall,
bshouting: “Allah Akhbar!” (“G-d is great!”); “Din Muhamad Kari
bBasif!” (“The Law of Muhammad with the Sword”); and
b“Down with Zionism!” A bitter diatribe against the Jews was
bdelivered, and Jewish prayer books were burned. The following
bday, the Sabbath, Arabs stabbed to death a young Jew,
bAvraham Mizrachi. Tension grew steadily.
bThe Mufti and other Arab leaders hastened to take advan-
btage of the situation. Letters, reputedly signed by the Mufti (af-
bter the pogroms he claimed they had been forged), called on all
bMuslims to come to Jerusalem the following Friday to prevent
bthe Jews from “seizing Al-Aksa.” Thousands of Arabs began
bstreaming into Jerusalem with long sticks that had sharp nails
bprotruding from them. Above all, the cry rang out throughout
bevery Arab village and town: “Il Dula M’ana!”—“The govern-
bment is with us!”
bAnd, indeed, it was. The British imperial, colonial govern-
b