During the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine, Khalil Sakakini applauded the Arab attacks on Jews, but worried that the violence looked bad in the eye of the public because 'the Jews controlled the newspapers and radio'. Therefore, Sakakini had to conclude, that 'the sword was mightier than the book'. For a grenade attack on a Jewish civilian train, he praised the "heroes" responsible.[16] After the attack on Jerusalem's Edison cinema that left three dead, he wrote: