Major-General Richard N. O’Connor, Military governor of Jerusalem, today cancelled all permits of Arab taxicab drivers in the Jerusalem district, beginning Saturday, after shots had been fired from a taxi at two soldiers. All-day curfew was imposed in Nazareth after Tafa Fahoum, a prominent Arabs independent, had been shot dead near police headquarters in Jerusalem’s Old City quarter. He left a wife and nine children.
The entire Municipal Council of Tulkarem was placed under arrest and a rigid 24-hour curfew clamped on the town after it was discovered that two of the councilmen were leaders in the Arab revolt. Troops and police, conducting house-to-house raids in search of suspects, rounded up an additional 250 Arabs suspected of complicity in the revolt. British military forces, operating in the outskirts of Tulkarem, surrounded one rebel force led by Aref Abdul Razek and clashed with another, headed by Abdul Rahim Hadj Mohammed, which attempted to rescue the besieged band. The rebels were reported to have suffered heavy casualties in the engagement, which took place near the village of Tayiba.
Rebel chieftains have issued warnings to Arab Moderates to join their cause against the British and the Jews or run the risk of assassination. In a manifesto attacking leaders of the opposition, Abdul Rahim declared that “whoever acts against the nation deserves worse than death.” The notorious rebel Fakhri Abdul Hadi threatened “execution” of several Damascus dignitaries if they failed to donate large sums to him.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.