Jews Are Reported To Have Thoroughly Organised Their Defence Force: A Secret Army

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 January 1948, Page 5

Jews Are Reported To Have Thoroughly Organised Their Defence Force: A Secret Army

WOMEN AS WELL AS MEN IN FULL MILITARY SET-UP

(Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent) Received 6 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 29 Piecing together information given him by Haganah (Jewish Defence Force officers) and details he has gathered himrelf, a special correspondent of the “New York Herald-Tribune” in Jerusalem gives the following picture of the organisation of the Jews’ secret army.

The Haganah, he says, pervades the whole Jewish community of Palestine, and it has trained a whole generation of Palestinian Jews in the use of arms and explosives. In some of its formations fully t half its fighters are women and young housewives, who may be seen buying groceries in the afternoon and may be behind sandbags exchanging fire with Arabs at night. The commander of the force is a 40-year-oifl Polish Jew, who has spent 25 years in Palestine. All the members of the organisation are sworn not to reveal his identity. Under him is a chief of staff and a staff organisation devised on the Anglo-American model, but including a civilian committee to guide the commander in political matters. DISCIPLINE Discipline in all purely military matters is absolute, but otherwise there is no distinction between officers and men. Service is virtually compulsory, and nearly every ablebodied Jewish boy or girl joins the organisation automatically upon reaching the age of 16J years. Prior

to this an Haganah recruit undergoes part-time training in a youth organisation, including military drill, small arms practice and unarmed combat. This system means that the Haganah can count upon at least 100,000 soldiers, or partially trained civilians. All Jews over 30 constitute a reserve and there is, in addition, a fully organised civilian defence system. The fighting force is organised on the same lines as any army, with sections, platoons, companies and regiments. GENERAL STAFF The Haganah general staff, which has its headquarters in Tel Aviv, is divided into six sections, each under a leader with a rank equivalent to a. brigadier. The whole country is divided into six districts, each under an Haganah commander, who takes orders from the general staff. The spearhead of the fighting force is known as the "Palmakh.” At present it consists of 5000 fully-trained men on full-time duty, and 5000 in reserve. The Palmakh is motorised and all its members wear uniform. Three-tenths of its members are women. The Haganah also has organised a sea force, which is responsible for bringing illegal immigrants ashore, and a small air force, officered by Jews who received their training in the R.A.F.