August 24, 1929: The Hebron Massacre

August 24, 1929: Incited to violence by a lie that Jews were planning to seize control of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, 30 miles away, a group of Arab thugs kills 67 Jews in Hebron in what was then Mandatory Palestine.

Stirred up by the lies of Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Jewish homes were pillaged, and synagogues were ransacked. It was one of many pogroms committed by the Arabs against the Jews before 1948, proving that the existence thereafter of the State of Israel is a convenient excuse for their crimes against humanity, but not the truth.

And yet, some of the 435 Jews who survived were hidden by local Arab families, proving that there was still hope for peaceful co-existence. However, the Hebron Massacre revealed the resentments that have made such coexistence incredibly difficult.

Soon after, all Hebron's Jews were evacuated by the British authorities. It sent shock waves through Jewish communities around the world. It led to the re-organization and development of the Jewish paramilitary organization, the Haganah, which later became the nucleus of the Israel Defense Forces.

Amin al-Husseini died in 1974. He lived to see the Munich Massacre and the Arab oil embargo -- but he also lived to see the independence of Israel, and to see his people start 4 wars with the new nation, and lose them all.

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August 24, 1929 was a Saturday. These baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Yankees lost to the St. Louis Browns, 4-0 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Alvin Crowder -- nicknamed "General," after Enoch Crowder, the U.S. Provost Marshal during World War I -- pitched a 2-hit shutout, allowing 2 hits, both by Gene Robertson, the Yankees' 3rd baseman that day. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig both went 0-for-3.

* The New York Giants swept a doubleheader from the Pittsburgh Pirates, 14-8 and 7-6 at the Polo Grounds. Fred Fitzsimmons won the opener, Carl Hubbell the nightcap. Over the 2 games, Bill Terry went 5-for-8 with a home run, a walk, and 4 RBIs, Mel Ott went 2-for-6 with 2 walks and 3 RBIs, Fred Lindstrom went 5-for-9 with 2 RBIs, Paul Waner went 4-for-10 with 2 RBIs, and Lloyd Waner went 4-for-10 with 1 RBI.

* A doubleheader was swept at Ebbets Field. The Cincinnati Reds won the 1st game, 5-2. The Brooklyn Dodgers -- or the Brooklyn Robins, as they were officially known while Wilbert Robinson was their manager, 1914 to 1931 -- won the 2nd game, 8-0. Ray Moss pitched a 6-hit shutout.

* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Boston Braves, 3-1 at Braves Field in Boston.

* The Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 9-6 at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia.

* A doubleheader was split at League Park in Cleveland. The Boston Red Sox won the 1st game, 5-2. The Cleveland Indians won the 2nd game, 6-2.

* The Washington Senators beat the Detroit Tigers, 9-6 at Navin Field in Detroit (later renamed Briggs Stadium and Tiger Stadium).

* And the Philadelphia Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox, 5-2 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Al Simmons went 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Mickey Cochrane also went 3-for-4. Jimmie Foxx went 1-for-2 with a walk and 2 RBIs.