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Jews call for Holy Land war

By REGINALD SEIGEL
Rescue workers comb through the rubble of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem on July 22, 1946. The attack was carried out by Irgun, a militant Zionist underground organization, on the British administrative headquarters for Mandatory Palestine. File Photo by Library of Congress/UPI
Rescue workers comb through the rubble of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem on July 22, 1946. The attack was carried out by Irgun, a militant Zionist underground organization, on the British administrative headquarters for Mandatory Palestine. File Photo by Library of Congress/UPI

JERUSALEM, Feb. 9, 1947 (INS)-The Jewish underground in Palestine declared tonight that the hour has arrived for "setting up a Jewish government and creation of an army."

The announcement was made in a broadcast by the illegal radio transmitter operated by the militant Irgunzval Leumi organization.

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The broadcast followed rejection by Jewish organizations in the Holy Land of British demands for co-operation in suppressing underground violence.

The broadcast called for Jewish unity and for continued resistance, the announcer declared.

"Jews will not capitulate. Their only hope is to fight and resist."

Authoritative quarters revealed that both the Jewish Agency for Palestine and the Jewish National Council refused co-operation on the eve of expiration of a seven-day British ultimatum demanding aid in suppressing violence.

The principal objection appeared to be Jewish refusal to act as "informers."

It was understood that the Jewish Agency acknowledged the situation was "slightly eased" after an interview today of agency leaders with Lt. Gen. Sir Alan Cunningham, high commissioner.

As the executive of the Jewish agency formulated its final reply to the ultimatum, a spokesman pointed out that there seemed little hope for any radical improvement as long as underground agents were ready to strike at any moment they choose.

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In talking with agency officials General Cunningham declared that the Palestine government did not propose to invoke martial law at present. The Jews had feared immediate imposition of martial law. Cunningham said, however, that all preparations are being made for any eventuality, especially an underground uprising.

British troops meanwhile moved into the port of Haifa where an illegal Jewish immigrant ship with 600 persons aboard was berthed after being towed in by British craft which intercepted it.

As the ship was berthed, troops wearing steel helmets and gas eye shields boarded her. They met no opposition as did naval boarding parties which had to battle their way onto the schooner as the immigrants hurled bottles and iron bars at them.

Refugees were transferred to the ferry transport Empire Heywood to be taken to the island of Cyprus to await entrance to Palestine under legal quotas.

When a naval party tried to board the ship a Jew was wounded in the leg by a ricocheting bullet fired into the air as a warning to the belligerent immigrants.

Four sailors were reported injured in the boarding incident.

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