British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Historical summary, June-July 1936. Period VI: The disorder of 1936 Volume I - Page 36

CHAPTER II.

will investigate causes of unrest and alleged grievances either of Arabs or of Jews".

During May and June the strike was effectively imposed; Jaffa port was put out of action; there were intermittent local demonstrations and assaults on Jews; there was destruction of Jewish property and sniping at Jewish settlements; sporadic attacks were made on the railway lines, two trains were derailed, roads barricaded and telephone wires cut; and armed bands, swelled by volunteers from Syria and Iraq, made their appearance in the hills.

From 11th May onwards the military forces were reinforced from Egypt and Malta; until August, no attacks were made on the bands in the hills, the troops being used for the defence of key points and the patrolling of roads and railways. Arab agitators and some of the Arab leaders were interned.

30th June, 1936.

A memorandum was submitted to the High Commissioner by senior Arab government officials and judges, condemning the Government's policy and asserting that Arab distrust of the Government's good faith was justified. A similar memorandum was submitted later by Arab officials in the Second Division of the Public Service, and the Qadis of the Moslem Sharia courts also presented a memorandum in which Government's policy was described as "detestable" and the British authorities warned "of the revenge of God the Almighty".

22nd July, 1936.

The Secretary of State for the Colonies stated in the House of Commons that there would be no change of policy until the report of the Royal Commission was issued.

29th July, 1936.

The personnel of the Royal Commission and its terms of reference, as follows, were announced. The Commission was formally appointed by Warrant on the 7th August.

"To ascertain the underlying causes of the disturbances which broke out in Palestine in the middle of April; to inquire into the manner in which the Mandate for Palestine is being implemented in relation to the obligations of the Mandatory towards the Arabs and the Jews respectively; and to ascertain whether, under a proper construction of the terms of the Mandate, either the Arabs or the Jews have any legitimate grievances on account of the way in which the Mandate has been, or is being implemented; and if the Commission is satisfied that any such grievances are well founded, to make recommendations for their removal and for the prevention of their recurrence".

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