The Arab Revolt of 1936-1939 in Palestine: A Study Based on Oral Sources (ص 142)
غرض
- عنوان
- The Arab Revolt of 1936-1939 in Palestine: A Study Based on Oral Sources (ص 142)
- المحتوى
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from the rural areas, they knew the areas within which they were
operating thoroughly. For example, they knew the routes which linked
one village to another through the mountains, they knew the caves, the
bushes and the rocks of the mountains which gave them shelter and
places to hide, as well as safe places from which to launch attacks. This
knowledge, which the British lacked, helped the rebels to move freely
between the villages, and to avoid the main roads.” It also provided
them with the opportunity to make quick, surprise attacks and withdraw
safely through the mountains.
"We knew all the mountain tracks and paths, by day and
night. The British did not know these routes. We used to
walk through the mountains between villages, and when
we got near a main road, we sent one or two of our
comrades to check it for us. We crossed it and then
continued through the mountains. We did not have
telephones or a wireless. All we had was our instinctive
alertness. We were safe on these mountain tracks. When
the British came during the day to try and find us, they
used planes. But we used to hide in the mountains,
between big trees and in the big valleys. These places were
the headquarters of the rebel forces."
Another element which provided the rebels with places for quick
hiding, especially in the towns, was the architecture of the old houses.
Many of the towns and villages were built on top of ancient towns of
earlier periods. Thus beneath many houses in Palestine it was easy to
find a network of corridors and secret rooms.*!
"Once we saw planes above our heads, and then the British
made a cordon around the village. Collaborators had
informed them that Yusif al Hamdan [the regional
43 Bahjat Abu Gharbiya, personal interview, 5/5/1985 Amman,
Jordan
50 Nohammad al-Shuriedi, personal interview, 21/1/1985, Um al-
ahm.
51 Fakhri ‘Abd al-Hadi had such a house. When he defected from
the revolt and started his anti-revolt peace bands in
Jenin area, he used the corridors and secret rooms
underneath his house in ‘Arrabeh village as a prison for
the rebels caught by his peace bands. These prisoners were
later handed to the British, Fakhri himself used these
same dungeons to hide from the rebels sent by ‘Abd al-
Rahim Haj Mohammad and Arif Abd al-Raziq to apprehend him
following his defection. Shakir Milhim, personal intervi
6/4/1985, Dhinnabeh Tulkarm. P interv 1ew
134 - تاريخ
- 1990-10
- المنشئ
- Sonia Nimr
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