Haifa Oil Refinery massacre

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The Haifa Oil Refinery Massacre occurred on December 30 1947 at the oil refinery complex in Haifa, during a period of skirmishes between Jews and Arabs in Palestine following the 1947 UN Partition Plan, although the Haifa oil refinery was well known for the peace in which Jew and Arab worked together. The massacre was triggered by the explosions of two bombs hurled into a crowd of Arab workers from a passing vehicle by Etzel (Irgun) militants, killing 6 workers and wounding 42. The enraged Arab workers of the oil refinery stormed the complex armed with tools and metal pieces and killed 41 Jewish workers and wounded 49. Although the Arab constabulary were accused of complicity,[link] the Arab Legion forces were officially noted as having escorted 30-40 Jewish workers out of the Refinery during the peak of the killing. The British forces only arrived 90 minutes after the riot had started. It was reported by the Jewish Agency among others, that during the riot some Arab workers had helped their Jewish coworkers hide or escape. However, the massacre was a major blow to the efforts of Jews and Arabs in Haifa to maintain good relations.

While publically condeming the attack as an "act of madness" the Jewish Agency authorized the Palmach to retaliate the following night by raiding Balad al-Shaykh, a nearby village where most of the Arab workers lived, and massacred men, women and children.

External links

[mideastweb.org]
[Palestine Post] December 31, 1947 [front page] and [continuation]

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