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From The Times
May 10, 2008

'The British wanted us to kill each other'

Said Jabr, 74, Arab Israeli

The old British Army base, a small sandstone fort, stands abandoned on a hill in Abu Ghosh, an Arab village just southwest of Jerusalem. Said Jabr was 14 when the British pulled out.

“It was on the 14th or 15th of May. I remember exactly that the British commander came to Ali Saleh, the village mukhtar (elder), and said they were going to leave and warned us to be ready,” he recalled from his family home in Abu Ghosh. “Thirty-five armed villagers walked into the base to take command. But the British commander went at the same time to the kibbutz and told them the same thing.

“The British left one tank in front of the army base. Then a few tanks driven by the Haganah (the fledgling Jewish army) drove up and surrounded the army base. But we had great relations with the local kibbutzim – we believe in friendship and protecting a neighbour’s property, no matter who they are – and the leaders of the kibbutzim. . . came to the village. They met the mukhtar, drank coffee and reached an agreement that the villagers would leave the base and the Haganah would take over. The British commander was waiting in the remaining tank to see what would happen. He saw the Abu Ghosh villagers leaving the base and shaking hands with the Haganah members, and he said, ‘F****** Arabs’. Our impression was that he wanted us to kill each other. Thank God the people from both sides resolved the issue peacefully.”

Mr Jabr proudly displays the Hebrew shield he was awarded by the kibbutz. It shows two hands shaking – a token of thanks and friendship.

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It is clear that the interest of a nation is most important when there is a conflict. So I understand the standpoint of Britain. If your country is strong enough, you may not suffer from that.

Ran, York, UK

The British were also being killed on mass by the Israeli terrorist group THE STERN GANG !!! My uncle was a soldier there during the troubles. They were getting it from both Arabs and Israeli's !!!!

Ian Payne, WALSALL,


That is hardly the actions of someone wanting the sides to fight,the Brits behaved correctly,informing both sides of the decision to leave and remaining behind while a settlement was reached.What else could they have done ?

paul chandler, London,

The inflammatory headline bears no relationship to the content of this article.

Bit of a non story really.

Steve, Argyll.,

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