British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 940

CHAPTER XXII.

the Arab inhabitants of Jaffa and the Arab press claim that the surrender of these two quarters will not put an end to Jewish encroachment. They express concern lest the transfer .of the two quarters will be followed by .Iewish infiltration into other quarters of Jaffa and further demands for their incorporation into Tel Aviv.

145. The Jews, for their part, claim that as long as they reside in Jaffa they must go in fear for their lives and property. They claim that in periods of civil tension no Jew is safe in Jaffa and that they must either observe a sell-imposed curfew in their own quarters or seek refuge in Tel Aviv. Apart, however, from the arguments of security , the Jews claim that inadequate municipal services are provided by the Municipality of Jaffa. The Jaffa Municipality has made a considerable effort to meet the Jewish susceptibilities in this matter; for instance, Jewish scavengers are employed in the Jewish quarters. It should, however, be remarked that even before 1936 the inhabitants of the Jewish quarters refused, in a written communication to the Municipality of Jaffa, the provision of scavenging services by the Municipality. But there are no Jewish schools or social amenities provided in Jaffa, and the Government hospital in that town provides no special accommodation for Jews. The Jews of Jaffa accordingly consider themselves constrained to seek education, medical care and social amenities within Tel Aviv. In consideration of these services an annual sum has been paid to Tel Aviv. In the financial year 1944/45, Jaffa paid to Tel Aviv £10,000 plus £P.11,000 for social welfare : but in 1945 the mayor of Tel Aviv estimated that £P.145,000 were spent by Tel Aviv on social services and amenities for the Jewish inhabitants of Jaffa.

146. 'The dispute between the two Municipalities became acute in 1037, when Dr. Bernard Joseph, of the Jewish Agency, informed Government that the Jews of Jaffa were not receiving the services due to them from the Jaffa Municipality although they had been paying rates. They therefore, according to Dr. Joseph, refused to pay their rates to Jaffa and claimed incorporation in Tel Aviv. This account of the dispute did not altogether cover the ground. The Jaffa Municipal Council, on which the inhabitants of the two quarters were represented at that time, had endeavoured to carry out municipal services with Jewish personnel; but in spite of this reform it became impossible for scavengers and drivers to work in the Jewish quarters without risk of molestation and physical injury. It was, in fact, the Jews who refused the services offered them by Jaffa Municipality rather than the Municipality

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