§ 15. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any information as to the killing of Joseph Benjamini, an ex-soldier of the British Army, in a raid by Bedouins against a Jewish settlement on this side of Jordan; and why the British police or the Transjordan force did not prevent the raid or protect the raided?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER4s the answer is a long one I will, with the right hon. and gallant Gentleman's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODMay I ask whether the district commissioners are in charge of the police in their respective areas; and whether Mr. Samuel has been made a district commissioner?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI take a great interest in every detail of Colonial administration, but I could not be expected to answer those questions offhand.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODThe right hon. Gentleman will realise, I hope, that the post of district commissioner is infinitely more important, if the commissioners have charge of law and order in their districts.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The telegraphic report on this incident which I have received from the High Commissioner is as follows:
§ There was no raid by Bedouin on the Wady Hawareth. A party of police, consisting of one British non-commissioned officer and three British constables under the Assistant District Superintendent of Police, Tulkarem, acting on orders of court, evicted a. number of Arabs occupying 50 tents who were trespassing on Jewish property near Nathaniyza, on the coast west of Tulkarem. The Arabs refused to leave voluntarily, claiming that they had no land to which to go. Forcible measures were taken, and the Arabs and their possessions were placed on the road between Nathaniyza. and Ummkhalid. Some of the Arabs then asked permission to remove themselves to a neighbouring property owned by an Arab, who offered no objection, and the police gave permission. On their way to the Arab property this small party entered the land of a settlement of Jewish ex-soldiers. The deceased person, who was a Jewish watchman, spoke to the Arabs and the British corporal asked him to allow the Arabs to proceed, since, otherwise, the party, with their effects carried by hand, would be obliged to make a detour of more than two kilometres. The land of the settlement is not at this point cultivated. The British corporal then rejoined the main body on the road, 100 to 300 yards distant. Within the space of a few minutes the police engaged in moving the main body heard cries of "murder" from the land of the settlement, to which they immediately went. The Jewish watchman was on the ground. On being helped to rise, he pointed to an Arab who, he said, had struck him with a stick. Apart from a group of Arabs, there was no satisfactory eyewitness of the incident. The Jewish watchman died the same night about five hours after the assault. Three arrests have been made. The High Commissioner added that he was not yet in a position to offer observations. These will follow by despatch.