ABSTRACT
Responding to the violence of August 1929, Britain formed the Shaw Commission to investigate the causes of the outbreaks and recommend steps to prevent a recurrence. The Commission conducted an unprecedented and dramatic three-way public trial in which the Jews, the Arabs, and the Mandatory Government – each represented by outside lawyers from England and Palestine – faced off against each other for more than two months. The lawyers made opening statements and closing arguments, cross-examined opposing witnesses under oath, and introduced hundreds of pages of documents into evidence. The Arab side persuaded the Commission to examine major policy issues, such as the McMahon-Hussein correspondence and ownership of the Wailing Wall. The Jewish side failed to convince the Commission that the Arabs had premeditated the violence, or that the Palestine Government could have done more to protect the Jews. The Commission eventually issued a report blaming both the Jews and the Arabs for the violence, while exonerating the Mandatory Government. The result represented a sweeping victory for the Arabs in the first-ever courtroom clash between the two sides.
