Never underestimate the importance of repentance

October 2009, by Anne Heelis

These were the words of an Australian Christian commenting on the National Memorial commemorating the 80th anniversary of the 1929 massacre in Hebron, and the response among hundreds of Israelis gathered there when it was announced that a group from Britain had come to say sorry. One Shabbat in August 1929 Arabs incited under the influence of Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Mufti of Jerusalem, who was later an ally of Hitler, turned in barbaric fashion on their Jewish neighbours who suffered unspeakable torture, rape and mutilation. A few brave Hebron Arabs protected Jews, but 67 were murdered and about the same number wounded. It was the time of the British Mandate in Palestine and the British authorities failed to protect the Jewish Community of Hebron, tried to cover up the facts, and subsequently expelled Jews from this most ancient of Jewish cities.


A group of about 30 British Christians and Jews attended the National Memorial in early September 2009 under the leadership of Love Never Fails. This is a group of some 25 Christian Ministries in Britain (including NEM UK) which support Israel. We took a wreath and two plaques expressing our sorrow and shame and these were presented at the end of the main ceremony. The smaller plaque will be placed in the small Memorial Room for the massacre at Beit Hadassah in the centre of Hebron, and a larger one in the cemetery.
Roy Thurley representing LNF also addressed the audience which included Israeli academics. He explained that we had come to say sorry on behalf of British Christians and there was applause when he read the words on the plaques, ending "Father forgive us, we pray."