Hebron

Today, no Jews live in Hebron on the West Bank of the Jordan River.  In 1922 under the British Mandate, 430 Jews (2.5% of the total population) lived there.

In August 1929, at least 67 Jews were massacred in Hebron by Arabs.  Many more Jews suffered injuries.  Jewish homes were pillaged.  Synagoges were ransacked.

The massacre was instigated by false rumors that Jews were going to seize control of Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  The surviving Jewish families were evacuated from Hebron by the British authorities.

Hebron holds special significance to Jewish people.  It is the site of the Tomb of the Patriarchs.  

The majority of Jews in Hebron had rented homes from Arab owners.  Some of the Jewish families (Separdic) had lived in Hebron for at least 800 years.

Newer Jewish immigrants from Europe (Ashkenazi) started to arrive in Hebron in the 19th Century.  Zionism (Jewish self-determination) started to take root.  

A key source of tension between Arabs and Jews was Temple Mount.  To the Jews, the Western Wall of the Second Temple is very sacred.  To the Arabs, the nearby Al-Aqsa Mosque is very sacred.  

The massacre in 1929 had been caused by religious intolerance...and a false rumor.