Fuelled by the killing of their leader, followers of al-Qassam attacked convoys between Nablus and Tulkram, in which two Jews were killed. They also announced strikes in Nablus and Jaffa. In retaliation, the Zionist militia group, the Irgun kill two Palestinian workers in Peta Tikva.
The “Arab Higher Committee” (AHC) is formed, headed by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Amin al-Husseini. This committee calls for a general strike from April-October 1936, not to pay taxes, shut-down of municipal governments and re-iterates many of the demands made by the Arab political parties namely: an end to Jewish immigration, a ban on sale of land and Arab independence. Violent clashes erupted between Palestinians, the British and Zionists which resulted in Britain sending 20,000 soldiers to Palestine.
In October, Britain appoints Lord Robert Peel to investigate the causes of the strike action and the violence that ensued. Owing to the financial strain of the 6-month long strike and pressure by other Arab heads of state, the AHC call off the strike and meet with the Peel Commission.
In July 1937, the commission reported that the cause of the disturbances was Arab demand for independence and their growing fear of the possibility of a Jewish national home in Palestine. The committee recommends the partition of Palestine into a Jewish State and an Arab state, and for Britain to retain control of Bethlehem, Nazareth and Jerusalem. The suggestion includes forcible transfer of Palestinians out of the proposed Jewish state. The Zionists were initially luke-warm to the proposal. Although it was not what they had hoped for, the proposed borders of the peel commission were significantly more than the Jewish settlements at that time.
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