Israel Matzav

73rd anniversary of the Tiberias massacre

Sunday marked the 73rd anniversary of the massacre of 19 Jews by Arab terrorists in Tiberias. Yes, 73 years. Before there was any 'occupation' and before there was a Jewish state. But missing from many of the martyrs' lists and the Israeli public consciousness is the massacre of 19 Jews of Tiberias on October 2, 1938, in the height of the "Arab Revolt in Palestine." An organized force of Arab militiamen attacked the neighborhood from several directions.

Why is the account missing? Perhaps because of the absolute failure of British authorities and Orde Wingate's (Jewish) Special Night Squads to protect the Tiberias community. The Mandate was aflame, but virtually no one was guarding the 6,000 Jews of Tiberias. Just three weeks later, an Arab assassin gunned down the Jewish mayor of Tiberias, Zaki Alchadeff, in broad day light.

A lengthy annual report of the British Mandate, 1938, included these three sentences:

"On October 2nd there occurred a general raid on the Jewish quarter of Tiberias. It was systematically organized and savagely executed. Of the 19 Jews killed, including women and children, all save four were stabbed to death."

This is Haaretz's account from October 3, 1938.

19 Jews victims of a gruesome attack in Tiberias

7 wounded, 4 of them severely – concern of more losses.

Official announcement:
Last night at around 9 a large armed gang entered Tiberias. After cutting all phone links, they came in two platoons. One came from the direction of Saffed, through the Kiryat Shmuel quarter, and the second, from the south, through Achva neighborhood. After five minutes a whistle sound was heard from the hills around the city and shootings begun. The shots were aimed mainly at the district offices, the police station, and the residence of the British policemen. At the same time fires broke at the district offices, at the synagogue, and six houses in Achva neighborhood. The police came immediately and 25 minutes later came reinforcement of the Transjordan Frontier Force. They were shot severely near a barricade that was placed on the road near Tiberias spa. From 9 to 11 in the evening the shots continued in the city. The police and the Frontier Force repel the gang out of Tiberias at 11 in the evening.

A curfew was emplaced and the situation is now under control.

The six houses that were stricken, mostly by the bomb, are those of Ben Arye Mizrachi and Katin. In the house of Ben Arye, Yehoshua Ben Arye and his wife Shoshana were stabbed and burned to death, and his son Arye. The year and a half old child Tzadock was shot. Rebecca Leymar, age 10, Haya Leymar age 12, and Ezra Leymar age 8 which were also at the home of Ben Arye at the time of the attack were stabbed and burned. At the home of Mizrachi the killed were Rachel Mizrachi, Ezra age 12, Miryam age 5, Jocheved age 3, Shmuel age 1 and Heftziba age 2, at the house of Katin he and his sister were stabbed and burned but his wife was saved.

A man called Yechezkel Katz, age 42, was killed when the synagogue was torched. During the shooting two Jewish policemen were killed, Israel Foxman and Tzvi Chezkilevitz, also was killed Jacob Gross. Hannah Leymar age 37 was severally injured, and Rahamim Ha’Levi age 26 was lightly injured. Hannah Sabach was lightly injured by a fall.
The total number of Jews killed and wounded, according to the available information, is 19 killed and three wounded.

It’s possible that more losses will be found under the ruins. The losses among the gang during the shooting in Tiberias are unknown for the moment, bandits were killed when Jewish policemen who went to help the city from Mitzpeh met and entered into battle with a gang of armed men on the main road near Tiberias. In the battle four English rifles were caught, a German rifle, a hunting rifle and an amount of bullets. The police had no losses.

Mourning throughout the land
From 2 – 4 a cessation of work and closing of shops had been declared throughout the land to the time of the funerals of the saints of Tiberias.

So where was the 'occupation'? More here.

Labels: 1930's, Palestinian terrorism, Tiberias

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:43 AM