Sami Taha
Encyclopedia
Sami Taha was the main Arab
labor leader in Palestine
in the British Mandate era.
, a town near Jenin
. He had completed primary school but, through independent study, he became fluent in English
and acquired a good knowledge of labour law. His family later moved to Haifa
, where he lived during his teenage years, in the early 1930s. There he came to the attention of a very influential man in the city named Rashid al-Hajj Ibrahim, who employed Taha to work in the Arab Chamber of Commerce. In 1937, during the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, he was detained by British forces for six months without trial under the Defense (Emergency) Regulations.
". Taha joined the Palestine Arab Workers Society
(PAWS) — which was established in 1925 — where he was employed as a low level clerk then a secretary. He worked his way up the organization and in 1937, he was appointed its general-secretary.
Taha, conservative in policies, and was rivaled by the left or Communist-leaning factions of the PAWS. By his late twenties, Taha dominated PAWS by being its spokesman and worked to enlarge the organization in membership and stature. In 1944, Arab and Jewish workers went on strike in Haifa led by PAWS and the Histradut. The strike was favored by the leftist factions of PAWS, but Taha, not interested in a long political-risky strike, vouched for Arab workers end it.
In 1946, Jamal al-Husayni
appointed Taha as the labour representative of the Arab Higher Committee
(AHC). Tensions between Taha and the al-Husayni
members and loyalists in the AHC who dominated that organization became increasingly high in 1947 as the Husaynis became angered at Taha's refusal to obey AHC demands. Some of these deviations included Taha's refusal to allow the PAWS to endorse a day-long strike called by the AHC to protest the anniversary of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, as well as the PAWS adoption of socialist guiding principle going against the Communist-led AHC. Taha was also accused of willing to compromise with the Jews and was perceived as "not anti-Zionist and anti-British enough." By August 1947, newspapers politically aligned with the AHC began publishing these and other allegations against Taha.
On September 12, 1947, Taha was assassinated outside his Haifa home. The assailant was not apprehended, but it is known that he was killed on the orders of Amin al-Husayni — Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
and leader of the Arabs in Palestine.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
labor leader in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
in the British Mandate era.
Early life
Taha was born in ArrabahArrabah
Arraba, , a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank located 13 kilometers southwest of Jenin. The village is 350 meters above sea level and lies near Sahl Arrabah, a plain that lies between Mount Carmel and Nablus...
, a town near Jenin
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
. He had completed primary school but, through independent study, he became fluent in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and acquired a good knowledge of labour law. His family later moved to Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, where he lived during his teenage years, in the early 1930s. There he came to the attention of a very influential man in the city named Rashid al-Hajj Ibrahim, who employed Taha to work in the Arab Chamber of Commerce. In 1937, during the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, he was detained by British forces for six months without trial under the Defense (Emergency) Regulations.
Labor leader
Taha became important figure in Arab Palestine and the leader of the Palestinian labor movement. After organizing an Arab labor movement similar to the Jewish "HistadrutHistadrut
HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael , known as the Histadrut, is Israel's organization of trade unions. Established in December 1920 during the British Mandate for Palestine, it became one of the most powerful institutions of the State of Israel.-History:The Histadrut was founded in...
". Taha joined the Palestine Arab Workers Society
Palestine Arab Workers Society
The Palestine Arab Workers Society was the main Arab labor organization in the British Mandate of Palestine. Its headquarters were in Haifa where it was established in 1925. From 1937 onwards, its general secretary was Sami Taha...
(PAWS) — which was established in 1925 — where he was employed as a low level clerk then a secretary. He worked his way up the organization and in 1937, he was appointed its general-secretary.
Taha, conservative in policies, and was rivaled by the left or Communist-leaning factions of the PAWS. By his late twenties, Taha dominated PAWS by being its spokesman and worked to enlarge the organization in membership and stature. In 1944, Arab and Jewish workers went on strike in Haifa led by PAWS and the Histradut. The strike was favored by the leftist factions of PAWS, but Taha, not interested in a long political-risky strike, vouched for Arab workers end it.
In 1946, Jamal al-Husayni
Jamal al-Husayni
Jamal al-Husayni , , was born in Jerusalem and was a member of the Husayni family.Husayni served as Secretary of the Palestinian Arab Action Committee and the Muslim Supreme Council. He was founder and chairman of the Palestine Arab Party and its delegate to the Arab Higher Committee, led by his...
appointed Taha as the labour representative of 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...
(AHC). Tensions between Taha and the al-Husayni
Al-Husayni
Husayni is the name of a prominent Palestinian Arab clan formerly based in Jerusalem. Several members of the clan held important political positions such as Mayor and Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and founded and led many Palestinian Arab Islamist groups such as the Holy War Army, the Palestine Arab...
members and loyalists in the AHC who dominated that organization became increasingly high in 1947 as the Husaynis became angered at Taha's refusal to obey AHC demands. Some of these deviations included Taha's refusal to allow the PAWS to endorse a day-long strike called by the AHC to protest the anniversary of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, as well as the PAWS adoption of socialist guiding principle going against the Communist-led AHC. Taha was also accused of willing to compromise with the Jews and was perceived as "not anti-Zionist and anti-British enough." By August 1947, newspapers politically aligned with the AHC began publishing these and other allegations against Taha.
On September 12, 1947, Taha was assassinated outside his Haifa home. The assailant was not apprehended, but it is known that he was killed on the orders of Amin al-Husayni — Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem is the Sunni Muslim cleric in charge of Jerusalem's Islamic holy places, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque.-Ottoman era:...
and leader of the Arabs in Palestine.