The Story of the Jews Volume 2: When Words Fail: 1492--Present

by Simon Schama

Thus the fellahin, partly by their own doing and partly by circumstances completely beyond their control, had beome tenants of landlords who had never lived or farmed in their plains, hills and valleys. To begin with just who was selling and who buying – effendi, Turk, French consul or Jerusalem Jew – was a matter of utter indifference to those who ploughed fields, scattered seeds from their opened fists, tended and grazed sheep and goats, so long as they could get on with providing a subsistence for their families and village. But these belt-and-braces young men were not Jerusalem Jews and were impervious to ancient, sacrosanct customs. Customary convention prescribed that those who had sown and harvested a summer crop were then entitled to follow with a winter crop; and the stubble fields after harvest were always theirs for grazing. But both local officials and Jewish farmers had new, office-paper versions of rights. Even at this early stage, hostilities erupted. The Jews drove grazing animals from their land, or even confiscated them as a ‘lesson’. Infuriated Arab villagers responded with violent attacks, smashing up cabins, and physically attacking men and women. The situation was made worse by the refusal of the settlers to take up the customary offer of ‘protection’ from Arab watchmen, preferring instead to defend themselves. Armed Arabs then made the Jews experience first-hand the cost of denying themselves that protection. In both the grazing wars and the watchmen...