Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 27 September 1929

Wombwell Curate’s Account of the Rising.

Adventures in Jerusalem.

Apprehensions entertained by the parishioners of Wombwell as to the safety of the Rev. J. E Broadbent were dispelled week-end, when he returned to England and resumed his duties as curate at Broomhill Mission Church.

Mr. Broadbent went to Palestine at the end of July, and Jerusalem at the time of the disturbances. The party to which he was attached took up arms to restore order, and Mr. Broadbent and his colleagues were present during the most dangerous phase of the trouble. For a fortnight they were exposed to extreme peril.

Theological Course.

Interviewed by a “Mexboro” and Times” representative, Mr. Broadbent sad he went out under the auspices of WycliffeHall, Oxford, and to the Holy Land was undertaken as a part of his theological training. Th y repeated, on a more comprehensive scale, a visit paid to the Holy Land two years ago in order to celebrate the “Jubilee” of Wycliffe Hall. The party was strong, and headed by the Principal, the Rev. G. F. Graham – Brown, left England con July 24, “It was not a holiday,” he said. “Wycliffe Hall has a summer term, and the idea was that we should spend it in Jerusalem, combining study with visits to sacred places. Having reached Jerusalem, we straightway began the curriculum.”

“Specials!”

Mr, Broadbent said he was playing tennis when he first became aware of the disturbances. “We heard people shouting,” he said, “and there seemed to be a general melee at the back of the college in the direction of the Jewish quarter. Not thinking it serious we paid no heed, as there had been disturbances of the kind before. Suddenly we saw a party of Arabs chasing a lot of Jews. That was at noon. The Mussulmans were jug coming out of their mosques. We went to our siesta, thinking that the row was over; but the same afternoon the Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. H. C. Luke, explained the gravity of the situation to the Principal of the College and we felt ourselves under an obligation to offer our services to the Government. At the time there were no soldiers in Palestine and the police were not strong enough to deal with mobs of such dimension. Riots were going on at several places simultaneously. The police did very well under the circumstances. An offer of assistance by forty young Englishmen was very acceptable to the officials. Accordingly we went to the police station and were enrolled as special constables. Those thought it would be like a policeman’s job in England were soon disillusioned. Those who had experience in the use of rifles were armed immediately, and others were sent back to college to await instructions. Certain members of our party went out on Friday and did not return until the following Monday. They were in touch with the heart of the trouble all the time, and it was not unlike real warfare. One of our party, Mr. H. Viney, was shot by Arabs in the shoulder and is still in Jerusalem. Mr. E. T. Best, a clerk in a Governmen office , was shot and killed. He was with our party at the time. The party from the college was exposed to grave danger, and firing was going on almost constantly. They had to stand seige lasting five or six hours, and it is a miracle that none was killed.”

At Hebron.

Mr. Broadbent went on to relate that after a most exciting period the soldiers were introduced, contingents arriving by warships, aeroplanes, and armoured cans. Our party were equipped with uniforms, and were detailed for street patrol duty. One or two of them went out to Hebron to fetch back the killed and wounded. That was horrible.”

Mr. Broadbent described the Arabs as a very cruel race: very simple-minded, and having no regard whatever for human life. The bodies were terribly mutilated.

The Wailing Wall

Mr. Broadbent said the root of the trouble was that the “Walling Wall” at Jerumlem was sacred not only to the Jews but to the Mussulmans. In the Wall are stones that formed parts of the Temple of Solomon, and the Wall is regarded by the Jews as an emblem of the former glory of Israel. This is one of the few visible signs of ancient Judaism. The Jews go to the wall to weep for the lost glory of Israel and to pray for its restoration. The Mahomedans hold the Wall sacred in that they believe it is the place from which Mahomed embarked on his flight to heaven. The position was complicated by the feet that adjoining the Wall were Arab dwellings clustered quite close to the wall leaving little space. To those dwellings the Arabs claimed right of way and the Jews resisted. The business of the government was to try and maintain the status quo and it was not easy. The crux of the trouble was to be found in the provisions of the Balfour Declaration, The Arabs wanted the lish to drop them and the Jews wished them te be more rigidly enforced.

Both at Fault.

Mr Broadbent referred to the extension and development of the Zionist movement and spoke of the bitter resentment it aroused among the Arabs, who objected to Jewish penetration. The Arabs were extraordinarily illiterate and saw things only in their immediate effects.

“ We in England,” he said, “would seek to rectify things by legislation ; as soon as the Arab feels he has a grievance he gets out his knife. Their codes are altogether different from ours and that is why it is so difficult to understand them. Then there is the language difficulty. In order to conciliate the factions official documents in Palestine are printed in three languages. The Jew, are very influential and, not unnaturally, they are ready to take any advantage they can get.”

Asked which Party to the quarrel he thought was blameworthy, Mr. Broadbent said he preferred not to depress an opinion, “They both at fault,” he said. “I should like to say that in their rough way the Arabs are hospitable. Before hostilities broke out so went among them quite freely and they treated us in a most open-hearted way. Of course they were very jealous regarding their ceremonies. Religious prejudice seems to override everything else.”

Mr Broadbent explained dress distinctions and said that particularly striking apparel was worn by a band of Bedouin chiefs who rode in from the desert to ascertain whether their services were required in support of the Arabs.

Severe Service.

Mr, Broadbent spoke of Tel-aviv. one of the places they visited. “Here,” he said, is a city populated entirely by Jews. This illustrated the growth of the Zionist movement. In 1920 Tel Aviv was a village; today there are 40,000 inhabitanta,. The Arab sees all this happening and resents It, Scattered about everywhere are Jewish colonies. one of which is run on an entirely communal basis.”

Mr. Broadbent explained that it was originally the intention of the party to proceed from  Jerusalem to Galilee. The disturbances however, made this impossible, the roads being unsafe.

“We left Jerusalem a week last Wednesday, he said, “after our fellows had been demobilised on the previous Saturday. Altogether they had eight days severe service.”

After leaving Jerusalem the party toured the Mediterranean, visiting Jaffa, Smyrna. Constantinople. Athens, Naples and Pompeii. They disembarked on Friday and Mr. Broadbent reached Wombwell on Saturday. He was able to preach at Wombwell Parish Church on Sunday night.