Hi, Laura. Today's lesson is the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem during the summer of 1946 by Irgun (under leadership of future Israeli PM Menachem Begin), acting under the orders of the Haganah's Moise Sneh. At least 8 Irgun terrorists , disguised as Arab workmen entered the Hotal thru its service entrance, carrying milk cannisters filled with high explosive prepared by a Hagnah bomb making expert, held the adjacent coffeeshop staff at gunpoint. The detonator's timer was set with a few minutes delay while the 8 scurried out of the hotel into the street where they engaged in a gunfight with two British guards, who mortally wounded two of the Ashkenazi terrorists. The bombs exploded, bringing down the western wall of the hotel. 91 people were killed (17 of them were Jews).
Begin would subsequently defend the bombing, because the British "had not adequately mourned the deaths of Jews during the holocaust". He did not mention Britiain's war against the Nazis nor Britain's liberation of concentration camps. Begin would specialize as PM in calling Palestinians "terrorists" and he was responsible for sending Israeli troops into Lebanon, where the IDF sent Phalangist militia into the defenseless Shatila Palestinaian refugee camp. Massive civilian deaths resulted and Genersl Sharon needed protection with American vetos from war crime prosecution.
In 2006 Netanyahu was among the celebrants in jerusalem commemorating the bombing. A plaque was erected, complainijng that the British had ignored a warning that Begin had claimed to have given. The British had pointed out that the warning had been given 15 minutes before the blast to a 16 year old Jewish telephone operator at the Hotel, not timely enough and not to a person of authority. The plaque caused a diplomatric incident, The Israelis then changed the text of the English version of the plaque (omitting the claim of the telephone warning) while maintaining the Hebrew text.
A fun fact was that Irgun still kept John shaw, the Hotel security administrator as a prime target. He survived and was appointed to a post in Trin idad. Irgun sent him a letter bomb.
Good show, I agree 100% and support Israel 100%.
Hi, Laura. Today's lesson is the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem during the summer of 1946 by Irgun (under leadership of future Israeli PM Menachem Begin), acting under the orders of the Haganah's Moise Sneh. At least 8 Irgun terrorists , disguised as Arab workmen entered the Hotal thru its service entrance, carrying milk cannisters filled with high explosive prepared by a Hagnah bomb making expert, held the adjacent coffeeshop staff at gunpoint. The detonator's timer was set with a few minutes delay while the 8 scurried out of the hotel into the street where they engaged in a gunfight with two British guards, who mortally wounded two of the Ashkenazi terrorists. The bombs exploded, bringing down the western wall of the hotel. 91 people were killed (17 of them were Jews).
Begin would subsequently defend the bombing, because the British "had not adequately mourned the deaths of Jews during the holocaust". He did not mention Britiain's war against the Nazis nor Britain's liberation of concentration camps. Begin would specialize as PM in calling Palestinians "terrorists" and he was responsible for sending Israeli troops into Lebanon, where the IDF sent Phalangist militia into the defenseless Shatila Palestinaian refugee camp. Massive civilian deaths resulted and Genersl Sharon needed protection with American vetos from war crime prosecution.
In 2006 Netanyahu was among the celebrants in jerusalem commemorating the bombing. A plaque was erected, complainijng that the British had ignored a warning that Begin had claimed to have given. The British had pointed out that the warning had been given 15 minutes before the blast to a 16 year old Jewish telephone operator at the Hotel, not timely enough and not to a person of authority. The plaque caused a diplomatric incident, The Israelis then changed the text of the English version of the plaque (omitting the claim of the telephone warning) while maintaining the Hebrew text.
A fun fact was that Irgun still kept John shaw, the Hotel security administrator as a prime target. He survived and was appointed to a post in Trin idad. Irgun sent him a letter bomb.