In many towns, “committees for the defense of the Burak,” br

were formed. On November 1, 1928, the Mufti convened a “re- br

ligious” conference, which demanded that Jews be prevented br

from bringing religious items to the Wall. The Mufti added his br

pious wish that the British enforce this “in order that the br

Muslims themselves not be forced to enact measures to defend at br

all costs this Muslim holy place.”

For months the Muslims resorted to various measures to br

harass the Jews at the Wall. New houses began to be built that br

interfered with and disturbed the prayers. A new “religious rit- br

ual” known as Ziker was introduced. It involved loud chanting, br

singing, and dancing with a background of drums and cymbals br

—to be performed exactly at Jewish prayer time. On 25 Tam- br

muz (August 2, 1929) Jews were attacked and badly beaten at br

the Wall.

Jewish horror was hardly helped through the stupid com- br

ment by the socialist writer Moshe Beilinson, who called for br

Jewish “moderation” and calm, saying: “The value of the Wall br

is great but let us not forget: Of central importance to the revival br

of the nation are other values of immigration, work, land.” Thus br

spoke a socialist Jewish spokesman and a not-too-clever one at br

that. The Mufti could only smile.

On Friday, 10 Av (August 16), thousands of Muslims, leav- br

ing prayers at the Al-Aksa mosque, marched past the wall, br

shouting: “Allah Akhbar!” (“G-d is great!”); “Din Muhamad Kari br

Basif!” (“The Law of Muhammad with the Sword”); and br

“Down with Zionism!” A bitter diatribe against the Jews was br

delivered, and Jewish prayer books were burned. The following br

day, the Sabbath, Arabs stabbed to death a young Jew, br

Avraham Mizrachi. Tension grew steadily.

The Mufti and other Arab leaders hastened to take advan- br

tage of the situation. Letters, reputedly signed by the Mufti (af- br

ter the pogroms he claimed they had been forged), called on all br

Muslims to come to Jerusalem the following Friday to prevent br

the Jews from “seizing Al-Aksa.” Thousands of Arabs began br

streaming into Jerusalem with long sticks that had sharp nails br

protruding from them. Above all, the cry rang out throughout br

every Arab village and town: “Il Dula M’ana!”—“The govern- br

ment is with us!”

And, indeed, it was. The British imperial, colonial govern- br