March 1947 martial law in Mandatory Palestine: Difference between revisions

Beginning on 2 March 1947, martial law was enforced by the British military for 15 days in Jewish sectors of Mandatory Palestine. The crackdown was known as operation hippo in the greater Tel-Aviv region and as operation elephant in Jerusalem.

Prior to imposition of martial law, eight attacks were carried out the day prior by the Zionist militant organizations the Irgun and Lehi against British vehicles, installations, and personnel. The attacks were conceived as part of a response to strict security measures implemented by Britain and the country's referral of the Mandate to the United Nations. The deadliest incident, on 1 March, occurred at the British Officers' Club in Jerusalem which was bombed and subsequently became the site of a gunfight. Twenty British soldiers were killed.

The British High Commissioner implemented martial law the following day in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv, as well as other cities; the declaration affected civil services and governing. British soldiers arrested suspects throughout Palestine before martial law was lifted on 17 March. Throughout its duration, clashes between British personnel and Zionist militants continued. During the period of martial law, British troops in Jerusalem killed two Jewish civilians, including a 4 year old child.

Background

The Bevin Plan proposed by Great Britain which foresaw a binational state with cantonal arrangements that would permit strong regional autonomy had been rejected by both sides in early 1947, with the Jewish representatives claiming all of the land with the exception of the hills of the West Bank, and asking for an influx of 100,000 Jews per year for two years, to establish a Jewish majority. Likewise the Arab delegation rejected the plan, asking only that the British leave Palestine. When warned this would lead to a bloodbath, with Bevin noting that the Jews were in a stronger military position than the Arabs, they trusted that the League of Arab States would balance the equation. Given the impasse, Bevin left a decision in the hands of the United Nations General Assembly, in the belief that the numbers there would hinder any partition plan, and lead the parties back to the only reasonable solution, in Great Britain's view, namely that outlined in the Bevin Plan. The Zionists believed the British were stalling for time, and the Jewish Agency made efforts in the meantime to round up international assent to the estabishment of a Jewish state, while multiplying facts on the ground by creating new settlements, abetting illegal immigration and leaving the dissident Jewish organisations to increase attacks against British forces.

By February 1947–in response to political unrest and the kidnappings of British officials–the British government evacuated women, children, and non-essential male civilians from Mandatory Palestine; later in the month, Britain announced its intent to terminate the Mandate, referring the matter of the future of Palestine to the United Nations. All British soldiers and policemen still stationed in the Mandate were subsequently concentrated into security zones in major cities. In a secret order on 10 February, which represented a change in tactics, the Zionist militant organization Irgun considered everyone British an enemy, no matter what position they held. The security measures led to Arab unrest in the Mandate and an increase in purchases of black market goods–an "indication of preparations for trouble".

On 1 March, the Irgun and Lehi coordinated a large scale operation, targeting British personnel throughout the Mandate. The organizations claimed that the attacks were in response to Britain's heightened security and their referral of the Mandate to the United Nation. Eight attacks took place on the day; the militants made use of land mines, mortars, and explosives to destroy military vehicles, installations, and personnel. The deadliest incident–perpetrated by the Irgun–targeted the Goldsmith British Officers' Club in Jerusalem. It was the first terrorist attack on a Saturday. Twelve British officers were killed when militants, some wearing police uniforms, under the cover of machine gun fire raided the building, planted and detonated explosives, and subsequently engaged in a gunfight. Twenty British personnel were killed and 30 wounded on that date.

Martial law

The British High Commissioner's response was swift. By 2 March, martial law was declared in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, most of Tel-Aviv, Givatayim, at in Bnei Brak, Ramat Gan and Petah Tikva, with the objective of pressuring the Jewish Agency which had not been cooperating in the British campaign against the Irgun and Lehi. Maj. Gen. Richard Gale, the military governor of Tel-Aviv, reflected on the order: "Martial law shall be declared. It is not to be viewed as a punishment, although there will be no avoiding suffering caused to residents through the fault of irresponsible individuals".

At the onset of martial law, British troops shot and killed two Jews in Jerusalem, including a four year old girl who was standing on the porch of her home in Mea Shearim.

Indeed, the order had serious implications for the Jewish populace of the affected areas. Civil services were suspended and the power of civil leadership, including the courts system, was transferred to military govenors; British soldiers were granted policing authority and movement in and out of areas under martial law required permits. Arabs were affected too by the price of goods and the dismissal of thousands of daily wage workers. Tel Aviv unexpectedly became a major centre of employment and adjacent communities–otherwise cut off from the city–requested they be incorporated into the boundaries of martial law.

British soldiers arrested terrorist suspects throughout the Mandate. In Jerusalem, where a massive manhunt was underway for the suspects in the British Officers' Club bombing. With cooperation from Jewish civilians, sixty suspects were arrested during martial law. Despite security measures, attacks resumed, resulting in the deaths of 14 British personnel and 15 civilians between 1 and 13 March.

Aftermath

The High Commissioner revoked martial law on 17 March, concluding its objectives were met and that the order was inadvertently affecting Arabs as well. The Colonial Office assessed that the operation while resulting in some Jewish collaboration with British authorities, did not result in the hoped-for level of cooperation. An estimated $10,000,000 in economic losses were reported for the Jewish community in the 15 days under martial law.

References

Bibliography

• Ekwe-Ekwe, Herbert (2016). British Counterinsurgency, 1919–60. Springer. ISBN 978-1-349-80813-7. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Cohen, Michael (1982). Palestine and the Great Powers, 1945-1948. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691638775. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Golani, Motti (2013). Palestine: Between Politics and Terror, 1945-1947. University Press of New England. ISBN 978-1-61168-387-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Laurens, Henry (2002). La Question de Palestine. Vol. 2. Fayard. ISBN 978-2-213-61251-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Levenberg, Haim (1993). Military Preparations of the Arab Community in Palestine, 1945-1948. Psychology Press. ISBN 0-7146-3439-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)