What Happened During the 1929 Palestine Riots?
From August 23 to 29, 1929, in Jerusalem, Hebron, Safed, and Jaffa, 133 Jews were killed and 339 were wounded, while 116 Arabs were also killed and 232 were wounded during the Palestine Riots, over escalated disputes between Palestinian Arabs and Jews over access and prayer rights at Jerusalem's Western Wall. Tensions began to grow after Jewish Zionist youth and nationalist groups held demonstrations at the Wall, raising flags and singing national anthems, which local Muslim leaders saw as a threat to Islamic holy sites.
The 1929 Palestine Riots were initiated because of instability over who controlled the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Rooted in Judaism and Islam, the Western Wall is one of the holiest religious sites on earth, founded and built in 19 BCE by King Herod as an expansion of the Temple Mount platform.
Yet, Arabs became tense over who controlled it, leading to rumors of a Jewish takeover of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which initiated violence across Jerusalem.
From August 23 to 29, 1929, multiple Arab mobs erupted in violent uprisings, as 249 people were killed, while hundreds more were injured, as the Holy cities of Jerusalem, Hebron, and Safed were invaded and burned.
The riots became a significant part of the correlation between Arabs and Jewish immigration.
In short, the Arab population saw Jewish immigrants as a threat to take over their land.
However, the Shaw Commission, led by Sir Walter Shaw, recommended that the British government clearly define its policy regarding land sales and restrict further Jewish immigration to prevent hardships for the Arab population.
Once the violence concluded, the British government, led by Colonial Secretary Lord Passfield, wrote and issued the Passfield White Paper of 1930, restricting all Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine and barring them from purchasing land.
In the end, the 1929 Palestine Riots were an event marked by fear, determination, and restriction from the Arabs and the Jews.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1) Where did the worst violence happen?
The worst violence occurred in the city of Hebron on August 24, 1929, when an Arab mob attacked the city's ancient Jewish community. This resulted in the murder of 67 Jews in a matter of hours.
Source: https://ecf.org.il/issues/issue/1349
2) Besides prayer rights and Western Wall access, what was another immediate cause of the riots?
False rumors spread that Jews planned to seize control of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, fueled by political and religious figures including Jerusalem's Grand Mufti, Haj Amin al-Husseini.
Source: https://ecf.org.il/issues/issue/1349
3) How did the 1929 Palestine Riots shift Zionist Defense?
The 1929 Palestine Riots shattered trust in British protection, causing Jewish Defense organizations like the Haganah to expand and leading to more militant splinter groups like the Irgun.
Source: https://www.hudson.org/foreign-policy/the-hebron-riots-of-1929-consequences-and-lesson
Why it matters
The 1929 Palestine Riots gave way to the rise of Zionism and the need for a Jewish state.