JEWISH CAMPAIGN

Grey River Argus, 10 November 1944, Page 3

JEWISH CAMPAIGN

FOR PALESTINE STATE Murder of Lord Moyne LONDON, November 8. Lord Moyne's assassins nave confessed, according to a Cairo message, 'iney were sene from Palestine to Lgypt by the “Freedom of Israel” movement, otherwise known as the .stern gang, to murder Lord Moyne. I'ney are said to have confessed tney killed him because as head of a political department of the British Government in the Middle East he was carrying out a policy contrary to Jewish national interest. The identiny of tne prisoners is still not established. Ine names they gave were Mosche Conen Israel and Charles Salzmana. 'lhe confession was made to Palestine police officials. The Associated Press correspondent says the men confessed after 36 hours oi almost ceaseless questioning. The Cairo police believe there are several other Jewish terrorists at large in Egypt with a similar mission to that oi: Cohen' and Salzmann. Egyptian police a ! re still silent qn their inquiry, which may t-irow some light on any plans the assassins may have had xor killing other persons in Egypt. A correspondent says: It is clear now that the Stern gang has ceased to limit activities to Palestine, but is carrying out terrorism elsewhere m the Middle Ea'st. In London it is recalled that the Colonial Secretary (Mr Stanley) on October 11, told the Commons that there has been a recrudescence of Jewish terrorist activities in Palestine. These were carried out by Irgun Svai Leumi, which is a military, organisation of the “New Zoinist Organisation”. Mr Stanley added: “These attacks, the object of which is to further political aims, seriously impede the war effort of the United Nations, and can do nothing but harm to the Jewish cause. They are the work of a relatively small body of extremists, and are condemned by responsible leaders of Jewry in Palestine and throughout the world. I am sure the whole House will join me in condemning these outrages and expressing sympathy with the victims of this murderous campaign.’ The Chairman of the Parliamentary Palestine Committee, Mr V. S. Hammersley, made the following statement this afternoon: — “No more injurious blow against Jewish national interests could have been struck than by the cowardly assassination of Lord Moyne. The assailants, self-confessed members of the Stern Group', are two of the small number of Jewish terrorists who for some time past have dominated the Palestine political scene. The Jewish population of Palestine is now some half a million. They should be sufficiently. strong and cohesive to stamp out this viper of terrorism whose ugly manifestations have done much to turn British public opinion against legitimate Jewish aspirations. I must ure- on Jews in Palestine the vital necessity to support actively the forces of order and purge all dangerous extremists from their midst. Terrorism will deflect the course of justice and may destroy the cause 'which well-wishers of the Jews have deeply at heart.” In the Lords, to-day. Lord Samuel expressed the distress he felt at the report that the murderers came from the Jewish population of Palestine. If it should be so he was sure the population would extirpate from their midst this group of criminals. At Cairo Lord Movne wap given a military funeral. The body will be embalmed and flown to England. OBJECT OF TERRORISTS. ALL-PALESTINE JEWISH STATE. (Rec. 9.50). LONDON, November 9. The Stern gang is named after its founder, Abraham Stern. Its aim is the immediate establishment, by violence, of a Jewish State including all of Palestine. The activities of the Stern gang reached a climax in January, 1942, with the cold-blooded murder of three nolice officers, and the wounding of four others'.

. A round-up of members of the gang followed. Stern himself, with two other leading terrorists, was shot dead while endeavouring To escape. In October. 1943, some twenty members of the Stern gang broke out of their confinement in Palestine, and the gang’s activities were resumed.