CONDEMNATION OF FLOGGING

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 14254, 31 December 1946, Page 3

CONDEMNATION OF FLOGGING

JEWISH AGENCY'S STATEMENT

Plan For Palestine

Imperative

Search For Terrorists Continues

London, Dec. 30

The flogging of a British army officer and three sergeants by Jewish terrorists of the Irgun Zvai Leumi in Palestine was to-day condemned in London by a spokesman of the Jewish Agency. ' •

He said the ,terrorists appeared to have no conception of the possible reactions to that move. He declared; “The British Empire is not endandangered by the acts of terrorism by Jews.”

Referring to the work of the recent World Zionist Congress at Basic he said some favoured negotiation with Britain and others did not. Now that both sides were represented on the Executive Committee he believed there might be more chance to get the British Government some assurance that the question of a Jewish State in Palestine would be seriously considered.

A Loudon diplomatic correspondent comments on the Jewish decision to maintain their boycott of the Londbn conference o.n Palestine when it is. resumed in a few weeks time. He said that Britain as a mandatory power will definitely have to decide on a plan for Palestine and put it into effect. He adds that this view has been strengthened by yesterday’s flogging outrages. A Palestine Government statement to-day announced that a widespread search for the terrorists responsible for the flogging is under way in Tel Aviv, Lydda and Nathanya areas. The Jewish community in those areas has been asked to co-operate. The officer who was flogged was Major “Paddy” Brett, D. 5.0., M.C., of the 6th Airborne Division and a hero of Arnhem. He was kidnapped from the Metropole Hotel in Nathanya, a town half-way between Tel Aviv and Haifa. After being given 20 lashes (“two exltra”) he was released and limped back to the hotel in his underwear. Two of the sergeants wei'e taken from the Arm on. Hotel on the sea front at Tel Aviv. They were flogged in full view of a number of people, who were held off with tommy-guns. They were each given 18 lashes and left tied to trees iwhen the igunmen fled. The other sergeant who was flogged was kidnapped near Rishon, south of Tel Aviv. He- also was found later tied to a tree and was taken to hospital. After hospital treatment Major Brett led a patrol to the spot where he was flogged near Nathanya. Police dogs were brought in to track the terrorists and , a house-to-house search was made. A cordon of troops was thrown round the town. In Tel Aviv more than 100 persons have been detained for interrogation.

Earlier in the day Irgun Zvai Leumi .posters stuck on walls throughout Jerusalem repeated the previous threat 'publicly to flog a British officer in retaliation for the birching of one of their “fighters,” Abraham Kimchin. Kimchin, a Jewish terrorist implicated in the Jaffa bank robbery, yesterday received IS lashes as punishment for that offence.