Revisiting the Hebron Massacre: Myths and Their Deadly Repercussions (Part 1)

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Nov 25, 2025

Explore the haunting consequences of the 1929 Hebron Massacre, where false rumors ignited violence, leading to the death of 67 Jews. The podcast uncovers the pivotal role of the Grand Mufti in escalating tensions and how shared religious sites fueled conflict. Eyewitness accounts reveal brutal atrocities, yet acts of courage emerged as some Arab neighbors protected Jews. The British failure to ensure safety shattered trust, prompting the Jewish community to militarize in response. Discover how this tragic event laid the groundwork for enduring narratives in the ongoing conflict.

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INSIGHT

Rumor Fueled A Deadly Turning Point

A false rumor about Jewish plans for Al-Aqsa sparked mass violence across Palestine in 1929.
Propaganda turned religious fear into a nationalistic flashpoint with long-term consequences.

INSIGHT

1929 As The Conflict's Origin

Historian Hillel Cohen argues 1929 marks the genesis of the Arab–Israeli conflict.
Religious symbols acquired nationalistic power in that year, reshaping future clashes.

ANECDOTE

A Tiny, Confident Hebron Community

Hebron's Jewish community numbered fewer than 1,000 among 20,000 residents in 1929.
Jews in Hebron trusted neighborly ties and declined evacuation or Haganah protection before the riots.

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This week, we’re revisiting one of the most overlooked yet consequential chapters in the Arab–Israeli conflict: the 1929 Hebron Massacre. In just two days, 67 Jews were murdered and an ancient community was destroyed—all sparked by a lie about Jewish plans to take over Al-Aqsa, a false rumor whose fear and fury have echoed for generations. Understanding this story is essential to understanding the region itself.

We’re re-releasing this episode now because next week, Noam sits down with journalist and author Yardena Schwartz, author of Ghosts of a Holy War, to explore Hebron’s past and present, and how the mythology surrounding Al-Aqsa continues to shape the conflict in profound ways.

This episode, first released in Season 3, is generously sponsored by Liz and Moshe Neiman. To sponsor an episode or to be in touch, please email noam@unpacked.media.

Here are links to the sources used in this episode:

Unpacking Israeli History about Black Saturday: https://jewishunpacked.com/black-saturday-how-far-would-you-go-for-a-homeland/

Unpacking Israeli History about UN Resolution 3379: https://jewishunpacked.com/is-zionism-racism-un-resolution-3379/

Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life, Sari Nusseibeh

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Amin-al-Husayni

https://www.britannica.com/topic/mufti

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/hajj-amin-al-husayni-the-mufti-of-jerusalem

A History of Israel, From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time, Howard Sachar

Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-1998, Benny Morris

One Palestine, Complete: Jews and Arabs Under the British Mandate, Tom Segev

Reapproaching Borders: New Perspectives on the Study of Israel-Palestine, Sandy Sufian and Mark Levine

https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/1929-hebron-massacre-begins-1.5427655

https://www.jpost.com/features/in-thespotlight/this-week-in-history-the-1929-hebron-massacre

Israel: A History, Martin Gilbert

The Claim of Dispossession, Aryeh Avneri

Year after the Riots: American Responses to the Palestine Crisis of 1929-30, Naomi Cohen

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015066430987&view=1up&seq=7&skin=2021, The Shaw Report

https://www.jta.org/archive/testimony-of-orphaned-jewish-children-moves-hebron-court

Year Zero of the Arab-Israeli Conflict 1929, Hillel Cohen

http://en.jabotinsky.org/media/9747/the-iron-wall.pdf

https://www.sefaria.org/topics/mashiach?tab=sources

https://hebronfund.org/the-return-to-hebron-1967/

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