1947 Jerusalem riots
Encyclopedia
The 1947 Jerusalem Riots occurred following the vote in the UN General Assembly in favour of the 1947 UN Partition Plan
on 29 November 1947.
The Arab Higher Committee
declared a three-day strike and public protest to begin on 2 December 1947, in protest at the vote. Arabs marching to Zion Square
on December 2 were stopped by the British, and the Arabs instead turned towards the commercial center of the City at Mamilla
and Jaffa Road
, burning many buildings and shops. Violence continued for two more days, with a number of Jewish neighborhoods being attacked.
A consequence of the violence was the decision by the Haganah
Jewish paramilitary organization to use force to "stop future attacks on Jews". The Irgun
had conducted armed attacks aimed against population of nearby Arab villages and a bombing campaign against Arab civilians. On December 12, Irgun militants placed a bomb at the Damascus Gate
that killed 20 passersby.
1947 UN Partition Plan
The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was created by the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine in 1947 to replace the British Mandate for Palestine with "Independent Arab and Jewish States" and a "Special International Regime for the City of Jerusalem" administered by the United...
on 29 November 1947.
The Arab Higher Committee
Arab Higher Committee
The Arab Higher Committee was the central political organ of the Arab community of Mandate Palestine. It was established on 25 April 1936, on the initiative of Hajj Amin al-Husayni, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, and comprised the leaders of Palestinian Arab clans under the mufti's...
declared a three-day strike and public protest to begin on 2 December 1947, in protest at the vote. Arabs marching to Zion Square
Zion Square
Zion Square is a public square at the east end of the Ben Yehuda Street Pedestrian Mall in downtown Jerusalem. It abuts Jaffa Road, Herbert Samuel Street and Yoel Moshe Salomon Street as well....
on December 2 were stopped by the British, and the Arabs instead turned towards the commercial center of the City at Mamilla
Mamilla
Mamilla was an early neighbourhood constructed outside Jerusalem's Old City west from the Jaffa Gate, and now refers to the $400 million commercial and housing district developed in selected parts of the area....
and Jaffa Road
Jaffa Road
Jaffa Road is one of the longest and oldest streets in Jerusalem. It crosses the city from east to west, from the Old City walls to downtown Jerusalem, the western portal of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. It is lined with shops, businesses and restaurants...
, burning many buildings and shops. Violence continued for two more days, with a number of Jewish neighborhoods being attacked.
A consequence of the violence was the decision by the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
Jewish paramilitary organization to use force to "stop future attacks on Jews". The Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
had conducted armed attacks aimed against population of nearby Arab villages and a bombing campaign against Arab civilians. On December 12, Irgun militants placed a bomb at the Damascus Gate
Damascus Gate
Damascus Gate is the main entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem. It is located in the wall on the city's northwest side where the highway leads out to Nablus, and from there, in times past, to the capital of Syria, Damascus; as such, its modern English name is Damascus Gate, and its modern Hebrew...
that killed 20 passersby.