JEWISH PROBLEMS

Grey River Argus, 30 January 1946, Page 5

JEWISH PROBLEMS

PALESTINE GUN RAID Officer Acquitted of Sedition LONDON, January 28. Fifteen armed men to-daj' stole 200 sub-machine-guns from the R.A.F. station at Aquir, 20 miles south m Tel Aviv, says Reuter’s Jerusalem correspondent. The._men were dressed in R.A.F. uniforms. They bluffed their way past the guards, entered the armoury and carried av, ay the sub-machine-guns and a quantity of ammunition. Major Nehemia Pardo, a Jew commanding a Palestine company o_ Royal Engineers, was court-martialied on alternative charges of sedition, or conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline. The prosecution alleged that Pardo, in a speech at Quastina last November, “attempted to seduce soldiers from allegiance to His Majesty”. Pardo allegedly called Mr Morrison and Mr Bevin Fascists, and said they were trying to oo to the Jews what Hitler did in Europe., The court-martial acquitted Major Pardo on a charge of sedition, also on the alternative charge of conduct prejudicial to good order . and discipline, and ordered his immediate release. The Judge. Advocate said it was automatically implied that nothing improper had been said by Pardo. , „„ LONDON, Jan. 29.

An official communique 'says:— Jews who were disguished in R.A.F. uniform, and were driving two stolen lorries. unsuccessfully attempted to steal arms and ammunition from the armoury at the R.A station at Aquir. They lost one tommy-gun and one pistol. One ol the station lorries was recovered.

MORE SEVERE PENALTIES

(Rec. 11.5) JERUSALEM, Jan. 29.

New and more severe measures will be taken to combat the terrorist activities in Palestine. It has been officially announced that the death penalty may be imposed on anyone convicted of being a member of a terrorist group, and life imprisonment for unlawfully wearing a military uniform. Hitherto, only persons convicted of terrorism or of carrying arms and ammunition have been subject to the death penalty. Summary military / courts, consisting' of one commissioned officer only, are being established.