Palestinian Attacks in Israel – From 1517 to 1989

You often hear about violence by settlers against Arabs in Judea (the West Bank), but how often do you hear about Palestinian attacks in Israel? Arab aggression against Jewish targets in the Holy Land dates back centuries, well before modern Zionism.

But you will read today, violence by Palestinian Arabs and Muslims against Jewish targets in Israel dates back to 1517. Anyone who says all Palestinian aggression against Jews is an “act of resistance” doesn’t know basic history. I will prove beyond doubt that the Israeli – Palestinian war was never about land or anything concrete. As Golda Meir put it in a 1970 interview, “They simply refuse to accept us here.”

Let’s get straight into it by listing the attacks since the early days of Ottoman rule.

The Ottoman Empire Period (1517–1917)

During the Ottoman era, Jewish communities faced several devastating pogroms, mostly between 1834 and 1838. Although attacks like those in 1838 and 1660 weren’t carried out by Palestinian Arabs, the way Jews were treated afterward by the Arabs who were supposed to protect them is especially infuriating.

Main event that happened this period:

• 1517 Hebron Massacre – During the Ottoman conquest, soldiers and local mobs attacked Jewish communities.
• 1660 Safed & Tiberias Attacks – Local Arab & Druze fighters devastated Jewish quarters amid power struggles.
• 1834 Peasants’ Revolt – Anti-Egyptian uprising. In Hebron and Safed, Arab mobs looted and killed Jews; Safed saw a lengthy pogrom.
• 1838 Safed Riot/Druze revolt – Renewed violence against Jews, homes looted. Many Jews fled.
  After the Druze left, local Muslims forced the Jews to sign a statement asserting they had been protected.
• 1886 Petah Tikva Attack – Arab peasants from nearby villages attacked Jewish agricultural colonies
• 1908 Purim Pogrom – Arabs harassed a Jewish woman near Jaffa. Jewish youths intervened, and one Arab was killed. Ottoman police, led by a hostile kaymakam, brutally raided a Jewish hostel, injuring many.

I want to emphasize again that some of these events, such as the Safed and Tiberias attacks of 1660, and the 1834 “Peasants’ Revolt”, predate Zionism, at the very least, by several decades. And those are only the incidents that took place directly in the area historically known as Palestine (Israel). The list grows much larger if we include events outside these borders, such as the 1834 beheading of Sol Hachuel in Morocco.

Researchers estimate that between 1800 and 1917, roughly 601 Jews died in the region known as Palestine.

Palestinian attacks in Israel during the British Mandate (1917–1948)

During the British Mandate (1917–1948), Jewish communities in the Land of Israel encountered persistent violence incited by Arab leaders like Haj Amin al-Husseini. He inflamed crowds with false claims that Jews threatened Islamic sites, sparking rage and unrest. British authorities often failed to protect Jewish civilians, leading to the formation of Jewish defense groups such as the Haganah.

Among the Jewish Israeli population, this period is known as the “period of events” (in Hebrew: המאורעות / “Ha Meoraot”). The following incidents took place during this time:

• The 1920 events (Riots of 1920, in Hebrew: מאורעות תר”פ)
• The 1921 events (Riots of 1921, in Hebrew: מאורעות תרפ”א)
• The November 2, 1921 events (in Hebrew: מאורעות ב’ בנובמבר תרפ”ב)
• The 1929 events (Riots of 1929, in Hebrew: מאורעות תרפ”ט)
• The Great Arab Revolt (1936–1939, in Hebrew: המרד הערבי הגדול / מאורעות תרצ”ו-תרצ”ט)

Events of 1920 (In Hebrew: מאורעות תר”פ)

Main events that happened this period:

• Battle of Tel Hai in March 1, 1920 – Arab militiamen clashed with Jewish defenders, including Joseph Trumpeldor. The outpost fell after heavy fighting.
• Nebi Musa Riots in April 4–7, 1920 – Arab mobs attacked Jewish quarters during a religious festival. British forces struggled to contain violence.

Summary:

Date	Location(s)	Event/Attack Name	Jews Killed
March 1, 1920	Tel Hai	Battle of Tel Hai	8
April 4–7, 1920	Jerusalem area	Nebi Musa Riots	6

Additional smaller incidents took place across Israel during this period, resulting in more Jewish deaths at the hands of Palestinian Arabs. Overall, about 27 Jews died during this time.

Events of 1921 (In Hebrew: מאורעות תרפ”א)

Main event that happened this period:

• Jaffa Riots in May 1–6, 1921 – Riots spread from a labor demonstration into citywide unrest, targeting Jewish homes and businesses.

Summary:

Date	Location(s)	Event/Attack Name	Jews Killed
May 1–6, 1921	Started in Jaffa and spread to other areas	Jaffa Riots	47

The 2 November 1921 events (In Hebrew: מאורעות ב’ בנובמבר תרפ”ב)

The November 2, 1921 events (Hebrew date: ב’ בנובמבר תרפ”ב) took place in Jerusalem as Palestinian Arab residents attacked Jews in protest against the Balfour Declaration issued four years earlier. Five Jews and one Arab died, and many view this incident as the Haganah’s first successful test. Due to its brief duration, it did not receive much attention overall.

The 1929 events (Riots of 1929. In Hebrew: מאורעות תרפ”ט)

Main event that happened this period:

Palestine Riots of 1929 – Widespread pogroms triggered by rumors of Jewish threats to holy sites. The Hebron massacre was especially brutal.

Summary:

Date	Location(s)	Event/Attack Name	Jews Killed
August 23–29, 1929	Multiple (Hebron, Safed, etc.)	Palestine Riots of 1929	133

Between 1929 and The Great Arab Revolt of 1936

Main events that happened this period:

• Black Hand killings at Kibbutz Yagur in April 11, 1931 – Gunmen shot three Jewish residents, part of an early extremist campaign by local Arab militants.
• 1931–1932 attacks of the Black Hand in 1931–1932 – A militant group led by Izz ad-Din al-Qassam carried out raids, leaving six Jewish casualties.

Summary:

Date	Location(s)	Event/Attack Name	Jews Killed
April 11, 1931	Kibbutz Yagur	Black Hand killings at Kibbutz Yagur	3
1931–1932	Various	1931–1932 attacks of the Black Hand	6

The Great Arab Revolt (In Hebrew: המרד הערבי הגדול) or Events of 1936–1939 (In Hebrew: מאורעות תרצ”ו-תרצ”ט)

Main event that happened this period:

• The Great Arab Revolt of 1936 –1939 – An organized Palestinian Arab uprising against British rule and Jewish communities. Included strikes, attacks on roads, bombings, and armed raids. Many Jewish residents were killed or injured.

Summary:

Date	Location(s)	Event/Attack Name	Jews Killed
1936 –1939	Judea, others	The Great Arab Revolt	400+

Palestinian attacks in Israel leading to the 1948 Arab–Israeli War

• November 30, 1947 – Fajja bus attacks – Arab fighters ambushed Jewish buses passing near Fajja, resulting in seven Jewish deaths.
• December 2, 1947 – 1947 Jerusalem Riots – Arab rioters targeted Jewish sectors in the city; eight Jews were killed in the violence.
• December 24, 1947 – Haifa incident – Sporadic clashes in the mixed city left four Jewish residents dead.
• December 26, 1947 – Convoy to Jerusalem – Arab forces ambushed a Jewish supply convoy en route to Jerusalem, killing seven.
• December 28, 1947 – Attack on Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road – A Jewish convoy was set upon by gunmen, leaving five dead.
• December 29, 1947 – Attack in Tel Aviv – Arab attackers targeted Jewish neighborhoods, resulting in four Jewish fatalities.
• December 30, 1947 – Haifa Oil Refinery Massacre – Arab workers lynched Jewish co-workers at the refinery, causing dozens of deaths.
• January 10, 1948 – Attack near Yavne – Arab fighters ambushed Jewish vehicles, killing eleven travelers in total.
• January 15, 1948 – Convoy of 35 – A 35-person Haganah unit headed to Gush Etzion was ambushed and annihilated, with no survivors.
• January 20, 1948 – Attack in Yehiam – An Arab ambush on a Jewish convoy or settlement left eight dead.
• January 22, 1948 – Attack near Yazur – Arab forces attacked Jewish vehicles, killing seven on the road near Yazur.
• January 25, 1948 – Unspecified attack – Documents record ten Jewish fatalities, but details remain unclear.
• February 3, 1948 – Attack on buses in Haifa – Gunmen targeted Jewish buses, killing six people during the assault.
• February 12, 1948 – Attack in Jerusalem – Arab assailants struck Jewish locations in the city, four were killed.
• February 22, 1948 – Ben Yehuda Street bombing – A massive car bomb ripped through a Jewish district, leaving 55 victims dead.
• February 25, 1948 – Attack on road between Ramle and Tel Aviv – Armed Arabs ambushed Jewish vehicles, killing three travelers.
• March 1, 1948 – Attack on Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road – Gunmen opened fire on a Jewish convoy, causing four fatalities.
• March 11, 1948 – Jewish Agency bombing – An explosive device detonated near the Jewish Agency building, killing 13 people.
• March 14, 1948 – Attack near Faluja – Arab or Egyptian units attacked Jewish convoys, resulting in seven deaths.
• March 20, 1948 – Attack at Ein Harod – Armed Arabs assaulted the area, killing seven Jews in the process.
• March 21, 1948 – Attack on Rosh Pinna-Safed road – An ambush by local Arabs or Lebanese forces left six Jewish casualties.
• March 30, 1948 – Attack while fleeing from Jaffa – Jewish refugees fleeing the city came under fire; eight were killed.
• April 13, 1948 – Hadassah convoy Massacre – A medical convoy clearly marked with red crosses was ambushed, 78 doctors, nurses, and guards died.
• May 13, 1948 – Kfar Etzion Massacre – Arab or Egyptian forces overran the block’s defenders after surrender, killing 157. Only a few survived.

Summary:

Date	Location(s)	Event/Attack Name	Jews Killed
November 30, 1947	Fajja	Fajja bus attacks	7
December 2, 1947	Jerusalem	1947 Jerusalem Riots	8
December 24, 1947	Haifa	Haifa incident	4
December 26, 1947	Jerusalem road	Convoy to Jerusalem	7
December 28, 1947	Tel Aviv-Jerusalem	Attack on Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road	5
December 29, 1947	Tel Aviv	Attack in Tel Aviv	4
December 30, 1947	Haifa	Haifa Oil Refinery Massacre	39
January 10, 1948	Near Yavne	Attack near Yavne	11
January 15, 1948	Near Hebron	Convoy of 35	35
January 20, 1948	Yehiam	Attack in Yehiam	8
January 22, 1948	Near Yazur	Attack near Yazur	7
January 25, 1948	Not specified	Unspecified attack	10
February 3, 1948	Haifa	Attack on buses in Haifa	6
February 12, 1948	Jerusalem	Attack in Jerusalem	4
February 22, 1948	Jerusalem	Ben Yehuda Street bombing	55
February 25, 1948	Ramle-Tel Aviv	Attack on road between Ramle and Tel Aviv	3
March 1, 1948	Tel Aviv-Jerusalem	Attack on Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road	4
March 11, 1948	Jerusalem	Jewish Agency bombing	13
March 14, 1948	Near Faluja	Attack near Faluja	7
March 20, 1948	Ein Harod	Attack at Ein Harod	7
March 21, 1948	Rosh Pinna-Safed	Attack on Rosh Pinna-Safed road	6
March 30, 1948	Jaffa	Attack while fleeing from Jaffa	8
April 13, 1948	Jerusalem	Hadassah convoy Massacre	78
May 13, 1948	Kfar Etzion	Kfar Etzion Massacre	157

Palestinian Attacks in Israel from Early State to 1989

Since the first Arab–Israeli War until 1989, there were numerous Palestinian attacks in Israel. Below is a selection of a few:

Date	Location(s)	Event/Attack Name	Israelis Killed
17 Mar 1954	Negev	Ma’ale Akrabim ambush	11
30 May 1972	Lod Airport	Lod Airport massacre	26
11 Apr 1974	Kiryat Shmona	Kiryat Shmona apartment attack	18
15 May 1974	Ma’alot	Ma’alot massacre (school hostage)	25
4–5 Mar 1975	Tel Aviv	Savoy Hotel Attack	11
11 Mar 1978	Near Tel Aviv	Coastal Road massacre	38
2 May 1980	Judea	Hebron (Beit Hadassah) ambush	6

In July 1989, the Bus 405 suicide attack killed 16 people when a terrorist linked to Islamic Jihad hijacked a bus near Jerusalem.

Between these years, Israel launched several major military operations to safeguard its borders, such as Operation Defensive Shield in 2022 in Judea (also known as the occupied Palestinian territory).

Conclusion

From the 1834 Safed Pogrom to the 1989 Bus 405 hijacking, Jewish communities faced violence long before modern Zionism. When pro-Palestinian supporters call these attacks valid “resistance,” they overlook the violence against Jews that happened long before.

They fail to understand that barbaric acts, such as the October 7th, 2023 attack, force the Israeli government to respond with military operations in Gaza and Judea.

Palestinian armed groups put their terrorists and weapons in crowded areas. They use the civilian population as human shields. War crimes that the international community largely ignores.

This limits the response of Israeli forces. As a result, Israeli airstrikes sometimes harm women and children.

Unfortunately, the world often remains blind to historical truths. International pressure unfairly targets Israeli authorities. It should focus on getting terrorist groups in Gaza City and Judea to disarm and release hostages.

The world is asking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to send more humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. This is under the idea of “international humanitarian law.” Meanwhile, Israeli prisoners are suffering without food, sanitation, or dignity in tunnels under refugee camps.

It’s time the world woke up to the reality of Palestinian attacks in Israel.