The Vegetable Market Massacre (Jerusalem, 1937)

The Vegetable Market Massacre was a terrorist attack that took place in Jerusalem on July 6, 1937, during the period of the Arab Revolt (1936–1939) against British rule in Mandatory Palestine. The massacre was part of a broader wave of violence perpetrated by Arab nationalist militias, who targeted Jewish civilians as part of their opposition to increased Jewish immigration and land purchases in the region.

At the time, Jewish neighborhoods and marketplaces in Jerusalem were frequent targets of attacks by Arab militants aligned with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, who incited violence against Jews and British authorities. The massacre at the vegetable market was one of the early instances of organized terrorist attacks on Jewish civilians, contributing to the increasing tensions that ultimately led to the Israeli War of Independence in 1948.

Attack

On the morning of July 6, 1937, a group of Arab terrorists launched a premeditated assault on the vegetable market near the Old City of Jerusalem, a vibrant commercial hub frequented daily by Jewish and Arab merchants alike. The market, located near the Mahane Yehuda area, was packed with early-morning shoppers—mostly Jewish civilians—buying produce and goods in preparation for the upcoming Sabbath. The attackers, reportedly armed with knives, pistols, and improvised explosives, entered the marketplace posing as customers. Without warning, they began indiscriminately stabbing and shooting at Jewish vendors and shoppers, targeting anyone in sight.

The attackers struck during a period of escalating violence in the 1936–1939 Arab Revolt, an uprising encouraged by Arab nationalist leaders and orchestrated by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini. The timing of the massacre—just days after the Peel Commission proposed the first partition plan to divide Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states—was likely no coincidence. The commission’s proposal had enraged Arab leaders, who vehemently rejected any form of Jewish statehood, and violence quickly intensified throughout the region in response.

Casualties

• Two Jewish civilians were murdered on the spot in the Jerusalem market.
• At least five others were seriously wounded, including a young Jewish boy who later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
• Several market stalls were overturned or set ablaze during the chaos, and multiple bystanders—both Jewish and Arab—were injured in the stampede that followed.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of sheer panic, with shoppers screaming and fleeing in all directions, many seeking refuge in nearby alleyways and stores. A few brave bystanders attempted to subdue the attackers, but the assailants quickly fled the scene, vanishing into the labyrinth of the Old City’s Arab Quarter, where British police patrols were hesitant to pursue due to fear of igniting further riots.

Although British Mandatory police forces arrived shortly after the attack, they were unable to apprehend the perpetrators, reflecting a broader pattern of ineffective law enforcement during the revolt. The Jewish Agency for Palestine condemned the attack, calling it “another deliberate act of Arab terrorism,” and demanded stronger protection for Jewish civilians. In response, Jewish self-defense organizations such as the Haganah began increasing their presence in marketplaces and public areas, anticipating further attacks.

This act of terrorism was not an isolated incident. It was part of a broader campaign of violence targeting Jewish civilians throughout Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Hebron, and Haifa. Just weeks prior, Arab militants had attacked Jewish neighborhoods in Tiberias and Safed, and the British administration was already under fire for failing to restore law and order. The massacre at the Jerusalem market added further pressure on British authorities and intensified calls within the Jewish community to establish autonomous defense capabilities in the face of growing Arab aggression.

Perpetrators and Motive

The attack was attributed to Arab nationalist militants aligned with the Arab Higher Committee, which was leading a violent rebellion against British rule and the Jewish population. This group, led by Haj Amin al-Husseini, sought to prevent Jewish immigration and land acquisition in Mandatory Palestine, advocating for an Arab state free of Jewish presence.

The massacre was part of a series of coordinated attacks targeting Jewish civilians, businesses, and infrastructure. These attacks aimed to instill fear and disrupt the growing Jewish presence in Jerusalem and other cities.

Aftermath

The Vegetable Market Massacre intensified hostilities between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem and throughout Mandatory Palestine. In response to the escalating violence, the British authorities imposed curfews and conducted arrests, but their measures failed to prevent further attacks.

The massacre contributed to the wider climate of fear and insecurity that defined the Arab Revolt of 1936–1939, which saw numerous acts of terrorism against Jews, as well as reprisals from Jewish defense organizations such as the Haganah and the more militant Irgun.