The previous article discussed the international committee formed in 1930 to adjudicate the dispute between Muslims and Jews, which returned ownership of the Western Wall to Muslims on the grounds that it is an integral part of the Haram al-Sharif compound, which is Waqf property. During the British Mandate of Palestine, Britain permitted mass Jewish immigration, and the boundaries of Jerusalem were altered to incorporate Jewish neighborhoods while excluding others that were predominantly Arab.
As for administrative matters, these were under the authority of the British High Commissioner, who worked to fulfill the Balfour Declaration by establishing a national home for the Jews in Palestine. The situation continued in this manner until 1948, when significant events unfolded. Clashes reached their peak between the Palestinians, who were striving to protect their homeland and rights, and the Jews, who were using all their resources to establish a national home for themselves. Amidst these bloody events, al-Quds was always at the heart of the conflicts and clashes.
Al-Quds website states: “In March of this year, Arabs worked to disrupt Jewish transportation, supply lines, and food supplies. They sought to cut off water and supplies to the Jews in al-Quds, and they controlled the city’s eastern and northern entrances, while the Jews controlled the western and southern parts. During this time, Arab fighters managed to blow up the Jewish Agency building in Jerusalem.” The Battle of Shuafat, March 1948.
The Battle of Shuafat resulted in the death of 14 fighters and the wounding of 11, while only two Palestinians were reported injured. These Palestinians had gathered from five villages: Hizma, Anata, al-Mazarah al-Sharqiyah, Mazra’a al-Nubani, and TurmusAyya, under the leadership of Sheikh Abdul Fattah al-Mazraawi from al-Mazarah al-Sharqiyah, Muhammad Abdullah al-Asmar from TurmusAyya, and Salim Hussein Muhammad Awad from Shuafat.
Coincidentally, during these events, the British commander in Palestine, General MacMillan, GeneralGlubb Pasha; the Chief of Staff of the Jordanian Army, and his assistant, Colonel Ahmed Sidqi al-Jundi, were on an inspection tour of Jordanian army units stationed in Palestine. MacMillan asked the Palestinians to cease fire. As a result, the Palestinians spared the lives of captured and wounded Jewish soldiers who had been taken to al-Quds, while they themselves acquired the Jews’ weapons and ammunition.
The Arab-Israeli conflict intensified on the road to al-Quds in April and May, marked by violent bloodshed. It was reported that “Jewish military activities escalated over time, as they attempted to seize the roads leading to Jerusalem and connect it to Tel Aviv, but they failed and committed massacres in many Arab villages, most notably the DeirYassin massacre on April 9th. The conflict in al-Quds intensified that same year, resulting in the Jews occupying west part of Al-Quds, while the Arabs retained the east part.”
Tackling the history of al-Quds is breathtaking, and stories of “Beautiful Egypt” are endless
General Bishop
President of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
