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In
the year 5606 (1846), when the Sheich Abd al Rachman was engaged in a violent
contest with his brothers for the government of the large district of Hebron, he
brought it at last so far by his influence, or rather the power of his money,
that the Pacha of Jerusalem took his part, who thereupon marched with a large
body of men against Hebron, to reinstate Abd al Rachman by force of arms, and to
make war against his brothers, as also all the city, which had taken their part.
The Pacha was now earnestly urged by the consul-general in Beirut, and the
consuls in Jerusalem likewise, not to molest the Jews at Hebron, who had joined
neither party, but kept themselves quite neutral, and to use all possible means
that they should come to no harm at the taking of the hostile city. The Pacha
promised this faithfully, and assured them that their recommendation should be
strictly complied with.
Some days had now elapsed since he had marched against
Hebron, and we had received no tidings whether he had succeeded, and that the
city was taken, or whether he had received a check from the strong party within
it, and was yet compelled to continue the siege when one morning we saw quite
unexpectedly several articles exposed in the streets of Jerusalem by the
soldiers, which evidently had been plundered from the Ashkenazim at Hebron.
These things consisted of clothing and furniture, which were known to belong to
the German Jews of that place; and there were even copper and tin cooking
utensils, to which the just prepared food yet adhered. This then was the first
evidence that we had that the city must already be in possession of the Pacha,
since his brave army had behaved so gallantly there. At a later hour we learned
that, on the preceding evening, the city had been taken by assault, and that,
therefore, during the same night the plundered property had been carried hither
in all haste, since it was offered for sale by the soldiers at break of day.
The
Jews of Hebron had been grossly ill-used, beaten, and wounded; one old man had
his hand shot off; some houses were clean plundered out; and it was on the whole
a terrible scene which the military enacted there in their wild licentiousness.
When their fury had abated a little, which probably was when there was nothing
more to be plundered, the magnanimous Pacha made his appearance with his august
escort in the house of the President of the Jewish community, to receive his
thanks for the noble protection (perhaps for their not having been all killed)
which had been afforded them.
But, not satisfied with mere thanks, he asked the
Jews, or rather commanded them, to give him a written testimony that they had
not suffered the least harm; that the noble Pacha, true to his promise which he
had made to the consuls, had taken them and their property under his paternal
protection, although at the very time the stolen property was offered publicly
for sale in Jerusalem by his faithful soldiers; and as it was sold very low, and
much under its value, many a kind-hearted Jew here bought in much of it, so as
to be able to restore it afterwards to its impoverished owners. No one ventured
to remonstrate with him at this outrageous falsehood which he demanded from the
Jews as a faithful testimony, when the warm blood of the wounded was yet running
before the eyes of the tyrant, when he yet saw the destruction which his
bloodhounds had caused.
But all this was mere sport which his brave warriors had
had with the Jews, who might therefore, nay, ought to give him an honourable and
faithful testimonial of his kindness. He nevertheless had some little fear that
the certificate given by these unfortunates might not for all this paint in
sufficiently bright colours the noble protection they had received; and in order
also to spare them the trouble of writing, he had the magnanimity to order his
secretary to draw up the required paper, in his own style, and required of the
directors of the congregation merely to sign their names, and they had only to
pay 50 pieces of gold (1000 piastres), as a fee for the writing. But there was
one of the managers to whom it was impossible to subscribe this lying
certificate. And why he more than the rest? From the simple cause that he lacked
the hand with which to write his name, because it had been shot away by the
infuriated assailants. Can cannibal chiefs show more beautiful traits of
character?
Jews and Muslims in Palestine
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