Nabi Musa Riots

Violent clashes between Palestinians and Jews that broke out in the Old City of Jerusalem between Sunday, April 4, and Wednesday, April 7, 1920. The annual, week-long Nabi Musa festival gathered Muslim pilgrims in Jerusalem on the Friday before Good Friday to journey to the Nabi Musa maqam, or shrine, near Jericho. This celebration became an occasion for intercommunal clashes after the 1917 British occupation of Palestine and the rise in Zionist influence. On the morning of April 4, a large crowd of Palestinians gathered in the city center to commence the festival. Prominent Palestinian nationalists gave speeches to the impassioned crowd, promoting Arab nationalism and denouncing Zionism. Jewish bystanders threw stones at the crowd, sparking riots that spread to the Jewish neighborhoods of the Old City. As violence escalated, colonial British Mandate officials imposed a curfew on Monday, but they were not able to restore peace for two more days. In the end, 5 Jews and 4 Palestinians were killed, 216 Jews and 23 Palestinians were injured, and about 300 Jews were evacuated from the Old City.