22 Friday, March 31, 1918
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Jewish Spy Network Revealed an Arab
Plot During Mandate Period to Kill Jews
By BORIS SMOLAR
had sent agitators to Jordan be on the street at any hour.
ernment. He keeps himself
to arouse and inflame Jor- He nevertheless asked me
remote from the Jewish
danian Arabs to carry out to come over right away. I
Agency, however," I replied.
chapter from Boris Smo- the pogrom in the streets of
sensd the uneasiness in his
"Did he give you this in-
lar's book "In the Service Jerusalem. He revealed voice.
formation so that you would
of My People" soon to be further details of the pog-
When I arrived at the
tell us that our conversation
published.)
rom which- indicated that Jewish Agency building, I
was overheard?" Ben-
It is no longer a secret and
the situation was very found that not only Shertok
Gurion continued.
can now be made public.
grave.
was waiting for me, but the
"No. He gave me the in-
During the Arab riots,
Palestinian civilians entire executive of the
formation as a friend who
which broke out in 1929 and were not allowed by the Jewish Agency, headed by
wants to help me in my
recurred in ,1936, the un- British Mandatory gov-
David Ben-Gurion.
work as a newspaperman.
derground Jewish defense ernment to bear weapons,
Everyone, was silent and
He did not tell me what to do
organization, the Hagana, but the Mandatory govern- waited for me to speak.
with it and I decided not to
set up its own network of ment did allow Arabs in
"It is customary," I be-
use it, but to report it to you
secret agents in the sur- Jordan to carry guns.', In
instead."
gan, "for a journalist to
rounding Arab countries.
Jerusalem, on the other ask questions. However,
"Do you pay him for
For the Jews in Palestine it hand, there were not
now I've come not to ask
such information?"
was important to know the enough British soldiers to you anything but to tell
"No. He often gives me
moods of their Arab prevent the infiltrating
you something which I
important news, but never
neighbors.
Jordanian Arabs from car- think is important for you
for money. He does it only
Hagana members who rying out the planned pog-
to know. Instead of sol-
out of a feeling of friend-
spoke fluent Arabic and
rom.
ship."
iciting news from you,
looked like Arabs would don
There was not much I've come to give you
"Do you think he would be
traditional Arab clothing time left before Friday.
news. At 4 p.m. today,
willing to meet me and talk
For the sixth year in row Norm has been named
and slip across the border At a secret emergency
to
me?"
Moshe
spoke
to
Dr.
Connecticut General's Man of the Year. In addi-
into Jordan, Syria and meeting, the leadership
Weizmann in London
"I am not sure. But I'll ask
Lebanon. There they mixed of the Jewish Agency,
tion, Norm is the president of Connecticut Gener-
over the telephone. They
him. If he agrees, I would be
with the Arabs at bazaars, after hearing the report. spoke in Russian, appa-
al's Executive Committee, which consists of it's
only too happy to bring you
teahouses, mosques and immediately resolved rently so that no one
top 5 agents.
two together."
wherever Arabs gathered. that Moshe Shertok — would understand if the
"Do you think we have
They engaged Arabs in con- then the political secret- conversation was over-
to lodge a complaint with
Norm Pappas is unlike other men in the estate
versation, heard their opin- ary of the agency who heard. But the telephone
the
Mandatory govern-
planning and insurance field. When you meet him
ions, and later sent reports later became foreign was tapped by, of all
ment that our telephone
you'll quickly recognize him for what he is . . . a
to the Hagana leadership in minister and prime people, an Arab who
calls are being over-
Jerusalem.
man who knows his way around in the complex
minister of Israel and knows Russian well!
heard?"
On one of those tense changed his name to This, I think, should be
field of financial planning.
"I don't think such a com-
days in 1936, one of the Moshe Sharett — would made known to you."
plaint would be wise. It
Hagana agents rushed telephone Dr. Weizmann
I then gave those present
You may believe you've "heard everything" about
would only lead the Man-
back from Jordan with in London and have him
the substance of the tele-
taxes, estates, and insurance services, but Norm
datory government to sus-
unsettling news. It was alarm the Colonial Office.
phone conversation as I had
does the kind of work that sets him apart from
pect innocent Jewish offi-
Wednesday morning He was to ask that British
received it from my friend
cials in the post office and in
when he reported that a military divisions be sent
other men in his field. To appreciate the excel-
and added: "I'm not asking
the telephone system. This
large group of armed overnight from Egypt to
lence of his work you must have it explained
you whether such a call was
could
only result in their
Jordanian Arabs were Jerusalem to prevent the
fireshand.
actually made. I will not
dismissal, which you cer-
planning a pogrom in bloody catastrophe.
cable
it
to
New
York
as
a
tainly don't want. I didn't
Jerusalem. They were os-
Shertok and Weizmann news item, because I don't
Norm's office is located at 26555 Evergreen, Suite
get my information from
tensibly coming' to spoke in Russian, in the ex-
want to cause a panic in the
1201 - Southfield, Michigan. When you have
someone who works in the
Jerusalem on Friday to pectation that even if some-
Jewish world and certainly
telephone system."
pray at the Great Mosque body was listening in, he
Norm Pappas working for you, you've got one of
not among the Jews of
— the second holiest site wouldn't understand their
the best. That is why Norm was selected our Man
After a few more ques-
Jerusalem. I only felt it
in the Moslem world — conversation. It turned out,
tions, Ben-Gurion assured
of the year in Detroit.
necessary to inform you
but under their flowing however, that their conver-
me that he appreciated ev-
that your most secret tele-
robes they planned to sation was tapped by an
erything I had done. "You
phone conversations are
carry the necessary
could have sent the story
Arab — by a member of the being bugged, no matter
weapons for the mas- Hashashibi family who had
abroad without even get-
what language you speak.
sacre.
ting in touch with us!" he
studied in Turkey and This information came to
The pogromists were to learned Russian there. This
added as we parted.
me from a very reliable
meet at the Mosque (which
Arab also held an important source."
Coming through for you . . . That's what
From that time on, the
is next to the Western
post as an official of the
When I finished, the Jewish Agency never
Connecticut General people do!
Wall), participate there in
Palestine government.
members of the executive
used
the telephone in
Friday's prayers, hear an
A Jewish friend of mine, remained seated around the communicating with
inflammatory harangue by
who was also an official in table in a deadly silence.
London.
Another com-
the Grand Mufti, and then
the Mandatory govern- The first to break the si-
munication system was
rush excitedly out of the
ment, secretly informed me lence was Shertok.
set up for contacting
mosque with rifles, revol-
of the Shertok-Weizmann
"I want you to know," he
people abroad — a sys-
vers, and knives to attack
long distance conversation, said to me, "that every word tem that neither the
the Jews. This was supposed
adding that the talk had you quoted from my conver-
Mandatory government
to be a "Bloody Friday" in
been overheard by an Arab sation with Dr. Weizmann
nor the Arabs could bug.
the Arab "Holy War"
who was a high official in was actually said. I also
352-0300
against the Jews.
the government. He also want to thank you on behalf
The Jerusalem pogrom
The Hagana secret agent
gave me the substance of of the entire executive for did not take place because
Detroit Brandi Office, Richard E. Sikorski, Manager
also reported that the
the talk. I felt that this was assuring us that this news at Dr. Weizmann's request,
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
not merely a matter for will not leak out as long as the British government
journalistic reporting which we keep the entire matter a sent military units from
would only provoke panic in secret. I also want to thank Cairo to Jerusalem at once.
3065 Orchard Lake Rd.
the Jewish world and de- you for telling us that our They came overnight, in
across
•
cided instead to telephone phones have been bugged by time to be on the streets
K t- ••-tr,
•
Shertok immediately. We an Arab. We suspected it Friday morning and head
were good friends and on a and now you have con- off the planned violence.
681-3900
first name basis.
firmed it."
"Moshe," I.said to him on
Shertok finished and Begin and. Rabin
the telephone, "I must see then Ben-Gurion turned
you urgently about your to me as chairman of the Policy Contrast
overseas call today." I did executive: "Moshe has al-
NEW YORK (ZINS) — A
not tell him specifically that ready expressed our
I meant his call to London, thanks for your ac- recent article in the Yiddish
journal
Yiddisher Kempfer,
but he immediately under- tion," he said. "Now I
published by the Labor
stood what I meant.
would like to ask you a
"Come over right few questions. First, I Zionist Alliance, contrasts
away," he said. But would like to know the styles of Yitzhak Rabin
come quickly because whether the man who and Menahem Begin in de-
curfew begins in an hour gave you this information aling with American Jewry.
and you won't be able to is a Jew, Arab, or
The journal said Rabin
go out on the street."
tended to bypass American
British."
I told him that I had a cur-
He is JewiSh and holds a Jewish leadership while
few pass that allowed me to post in the Mandatory gov- Begin has openly courted it
(Copyright 1978. JTA. Inc.)
(Editor's note: This is a
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