Chapter 29 - The Last and Most Heroic Chapter in the Life of Meir
{Read the Hebrew original here}
Meir's release from the British Army came faster than he had expected. A few months after he sent the letter cited in the previous chapter, Meir was told that his release from the army was imminent, and he asked his brother to keep an eye out for a job for him upon his release. He told his brother that according to the plan given to him, he would return to Eretz Israel in July of 1946, and within three or four weeks of his arrival he would finally be released.
However, before we start to tell the fateful and dramatic events in Meir's life after his release from the army, we must pause a little and describe what happened in Eretz Israel within the first few months of the Spring of 1946, amid the turbulence and the many brave operations that took place. This year, as well as the following year, were the most turbulent and detrimental years in the history of the Yishuv and the Zionist movement: These were the years of a fierce and intensive battle with the British rule, a bloody struggle of many military operations both in Eretz Israel and abroad, executed in tandem with many high level political initiatives; These were the years when the foreign rule executed the best of the fighting Jewish youth in the gallows, in an effort to suppress our national liberation movement; and these were the years when the brave military attacks of the fighting underground organizations were able to shock and suppress the foreign British rule – directly causing the evacuation of the foreign rule from Eretz Israel, and the establishment of the Jewish state.
To properly describe these tremendous activities, we must begin with the activities of February 1946. Many bold attacks and raids on British bases occurred within this month. On February 3rd, the Irgun raided a British air force base in Tel-Aviv, confiscating a large quantity of weapons and ammunition. On February 22nd, the Haganah simultaneously attacked four British military bases, in Kfar-Vitkin, Shefaram, Jenin and Sharona. Three days later, combat units of the Irgun attacked the British military airports in Kastina and Lod, and destroyed many airplanes on the ground. Within no more than two days, the Irgun carried out a large-scale attack on the main British army base in Sarafend, confiscating a large quantity of weapons, and destroying a major military depot during the retreat. These were the first major activities of that year, indicating the approaching storm of the following months.
The month of April started with an extensive bombing of the railroads; the Naaman bridge near Acre was destroyed; the train stations of Yavneh and Ashdod, as well as an additional five bridges, were blown up. In the middle of the month, two military bases near Netanya were raided, and weapons and ammunition were confiscated. On April 24th, the day after Passover, the Irgun conducted a bold attack on the Tigart fortress of the Ramat Gan police. About 40 Irgun soldiers participated in this attack that was intended for weapon confiscation. The attack was shrewdly organized under the guise of bringing “Arab prisoners” by “British soldiers”: around noon, after two Irgun units closed the main street from both sides of the fortress, a large military vehicle arrived to the gate of the fortress. A “British sergeant” jumped out of the car, entered the fortress and notified the commanding officer of the station that four Arabs were captured while stealing blankets in the military base of Tel-Litvinsky, and he asked the officer to hold them until the trial. The “sergeant” looked genuine enough, so the commanding officer agreed to receive the “Arabs prisoners” who were accompanied by six “British policemen.” Upon entry to the fortress, the “Arabs” and “policemen” withdrew their weapons, aimed the weapons at the station's policemen, asked them to raise their hands, cut the phone lines, and quickly took charge of the weapon depot of the fortress. At the same time, according to a signal from the “sergeant,” who was actually the operation commander, a group of ten “porters” wearing work garments who were waiting outside entered the fortress, headed by Dov Gruner. They quickly started to transfer the confiscated weapons to a car parking near the gate. For twenty minutes they emptied the weapons depot and loaded the guns and the ammunition boxes onto the car. However, before the end of the mission, a large British force arrived at the fortress, summoned by an emergency alert transmitted by a wireless operator who was able to secretly close himself in his room upstairs. A fierce gun battle ensued, with the participation of the British soldiers on the second floor, who were able to finally recover from their initial shock. One of the Irgun soldiers, who stood on the roof of one the buildings across the fortress with a Bren machine gun providing cover for the attackers, was immediately killed, and another Irgun soldier was killed later during the retreat.
Dov Gruner, in spite of the retreat signal, returned inside the fortress to collect the explosives box that was intended to destroy the fortress' tower and was not used yet. He loaded the box on his back, but on his way back to the car he was severely injured in his right cheek by a clip of bullets, fell down and remained motionless in the tunnel near the north barbed fence of the fortress. His fellow soldiers could not retrieve him, and they were forced to run away with the fully loaded car to avoid capture by the many British soldiers who swarmed the place. This is the same Dov Gruner, whose life story, from the same fateful day of his injury and his capture by the British to his trial and his heroic execution in the gallows within the following year, took the attention of the entire world, and so tragically and heroically intersected with the story of Meir's life and death, as we will see below.
About a week before the Ramat-Gan operation described above, on Passover Eve, Meir arrived at his house in Jerusalem for a short vacation. His soul was tormented as he heard about all the military operations that were going on throughout the country against the foreign rule, operations in which he was unable to participate in an active way, as he had to return to his unit in Egypt within a few days. In those days he met with many of his friends, men and women, who were members of the Irgun and Lehi, and he revealed to them the deep frustration in his soul. He met his best friend Yoram, who was already a student at the Technion in Haifa, and who had also arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover holidays. He learned from Yoram that six months prior, a son was born to Yoram's brother Yedidya, and his wife, Korin, and his name was Yechiam1. Meir was very happy to hear about the birth of Yechiam, and he gladly agreed to join Yoram on his visit to his brother.
They left Yoram's house in the afternoon, making their way to the Bet Hakerem neighborhood, towards Yedidya and Korin's house. On their way, Yoram asked Meir about his girlfriend Mazal from Beirut. Meir answered:
“Yoram, it's been a long time since I told you about my relations with her, and since then, our connection cooled, until it finally disconnected completely. We did love each other, and we even had some discussion about engagement. Mazal suggested that we get married and emigrate to Brazil, where her father is living, but I told her that this is out of the question, as I am totally connected to Eretz Israel. In regards to the engagement, I argued that we were too young for that. We continued to go out together, until I was finally transferred from Beirut to Eretz Israel, and from here to Egypt. The frequency of our letters gradually declined, until it stopped altogether. Since then, I have met other girls, and tonight I have a meeting with one of them at Cafe Alenby. I think that I chose correctly not to get engaged to Mazal, because it is not smart to get married at a young age before you establish yourself in life. What do you think, Yoram?”
“I think you are right, Meir”, Yoram answered. “Although I have not experienced a serious loving relationship yet, as I am very busy at school, I also think that it is not smart to get married at such a young age.”
They continued on their way quietly, engulfed in deep thoughts, until they reached their destination. They entered the house and Korin greeted Meir with much affection and shook his hand. Meir wished her a Mazal Tov and wanted to see the baby. Korin brought Meir into the baby's room, where Yechiam was sleeping in his crib. Yechiam was a very beautiful baby, with an angelic face, and looked like a wonderful combination of the beautiful and lovely features of the faces of Korin and Yedidya. Meir did not hide his admiration of the beautiful face of the baby, and Korin graciously accepted his praise. In the meantime, Yedidya came home and they all went out to the garden and sat around the table. The spring brought a wonderful blossom of the flowers, and the warm air, with the magnificent smell of the flowers made their stay in the garden very pleasant. Korin brought coffee and cakes, and they had a pleasant conversation. Meir told them about his military life in Egypt, and his meetings with Jewish soldiers who had returned from the European hell, who told him about the horrors they found in Hitler's concentration camps. Meir was also pleased to mention that at the end, Yedidya's prediction from a year before came true – now that the Haganah forces joined the common revolt against the foreign rule. Yedidya nodded his head in agreement and said:
“Indeed, today all the Yishuv is joined together in the revolt against the suppressive rule. Unfortunately, the new Labor government in Britain and their emissaries in Eretz Israel continue the shameful enforcement of the White Paper, and we have no choice but to fight them with all our power. And, please note, our power is not as weak as it may be perceived at first sight, despite the hundreds of thousands of soldiers that the British moved into Eretz Israel. This is because we will act in accordance with the following strategy and tactics: besides the “hit and run” guerilla attacks of the underground organizations, we will awaken the world's public opinion against the British plot to destroy the Zionist cause, a plot made against their most solemn obligations that the British assumed when they obtained the Mandate on Eretz Israel. And now, with the establishment of the United Nations, which supersedes the League of Nations, we have a superior international forum where we can put forth our petition and complain about the British betrayal. We must remember that even the Mandates committee of the League of Nations condemned the White Paper policy because it is totally inconsistent with the Mandate conditions. On the other hand, we can awaken the world's public opinion by our military attacks in Eretz Israel, by the increase of the Jewish “illegal immigration,” and by enlisting our friends throughout the world. In particular, we will be assisted by the Jewish community in the USA who has a significant influence on the US government. With all these means at our disposal, there is no doubt that we will eventually win, and reach our final national liberation. However, until we reach this desired goal, we will need to fight very hard, and we will not be able to avoid heavy sacrifices during the struggle, even though every Jewish soul is very dear to us. This is probably the way of the divine supervision, and we have to accept these difficulties with love. Everyone of us is willing to sacrifice his or her soul on the altar of the people's liberation, if the need arises. Let us pray to the almighty that our struggle will end soon, and that our people will be liberated in the very near future."
Yedidya's words resonated for a long time in Meir's heart and brain. That same evening, Meir hurried to his meeting with his new girlfriend2 at Cafe Alenby. Although Yedidya and Korin invited him to stay for dinner, Meir apologized and said that he must hurry so that he is not late for his date, and he departed with warm blessings. Apparently he had a kind of intuition that he must take advantage of every moment in his life to enjoy what life has to offer before it was too late...
A few days later, Meir continued to reflect on Yedidya's words throughout his train journey back to his unit in Egypt, and the more he thought about it, he realized again that Yedidya is very smart man, and that his analysis of the political and military situation is both brilliant and correct. Yedidya's words gave Meir the confidence in the final victory, as well as the mental readiness to give his level best to reach the desired objective of national liberation. A few days after his return to Egypt, he heard about the Irgun's attack on the Tegart fortress of the Ramat Gan police, and the capture of the injured Dov Gruner at the hands of the British. Of course, he was not aware of all the details of the attack at that time, but he felt very badly for the fate of the injured prisoner. He decided that he must expedite his official entry to the Irgun. At the same time, he received the good news that his release from the British army was imminent, and he started to prepare for his return to civilian life.
Meir returned to Eretz Israel in July of 1946, and in accordance with the army's release procedures, his final release would be within a few weeks. During these weeks, Meir was free to leave the base and to visit his home more frequently. In one of his early visits, after his return to Eretz Israel, he went to Amikam's house, in hopes that he would recommend him for acceptance by the Irgun. Amikam had already been released from the British army for quite sometime, and it became known to Meir that Amikam was not only a member of the Irgun, but that he was actually holding an important position inside the Irgun's command.
Meir arrived at Amikam's house late at night. Tamar already put their son Boaz to sleep, and was sitting on the sofa knitting a sweater for her son, while her husband sat at his desk, reviewing some documents. When Meir knocked on the door, Amikam quickly hid the documents in a secret hiding place, and stood up to open the door. When he saw Meir, he immediately recognized him and showed him in. They shook hands very warmly, and after Meir approached Tamar and shook her hand, he turned to Amikam and said:
“Amikam, I hope that I am not disturbing you at this late hour in the evening. I have an important matter to discuss with you.”
“No Meir,” Amikam answered, “you are not disturbing us at all. On the contrary, I am very happy that you have come. It has been a long time that I did not have the pleasure of your company, although I heard a lot about the great help you have provided the Irgun. Sit down and let us talk. How are you, and when are you finally getting released?”
Amikam stood up, and poured glasses of brandy for Meir and himself, and after Meir mentioned the date of his final release, Meir explained the reason of his visit. He continued to say:
“Amikam, you surely remember that about a year ago I wanted to join the Irgun, but you suggested that as long as I am still enlisted in the British army, I should only help the Irgun without becoming a member, a suggestion that I followed to the best of my ability. Now that I am getting released from the army, I believe it is time for me to join the Irgun officially. I cannot stay on the sidelines at a time that so many operations are conducted in Eretz Israel, and the revolt is at its peak.”
Amikam looked at Meir's eyes, smiled, and answered:
“OK Meir, I myself do not deal with the recruitment of new members for the Irgun, but I can give you a note for Arnon, who is in charge of recruitment, and your swearing-in ceremony can be made within the next few days. By the way, I need to tell you that Gvaryahu from Beirut highly praised your great help and wisdom, and he was very disappointed when the army transferred you out of Beirut. Now, since I have full trust in you, I can reveal to you something we plan to carry out soon here in Jerusalem. This information, and of course, any other information that you gain as a member of the Irgun, you must keep as top secret and not reveal it to anyone under any circumstances. I am sure that you fully understand this.”
Meir smiled and nodded his head in agreement, and Amikam continued:
“Well Meir, you have likely heard about the “Black Saturday”3 of June 30, when the British authorities arrested the heads of the Jewish Agency and the Yishuv, as well as many Haganah members around the country and sent them to prison camps, mostly to the prison camp in Latrun. Up until now, only suspected members of the Irgun and Lehi have been incarcerated in this camp. In response to this British action, we are planning a large attack against the center of the foreign rule, an attack that is also approved by the Haganah, although the planning and execution of the attack will be exclusively carried on by the Irgun. Our best soldiers will participate in this operation, in about one week. I am not allowed to tell you the details of the operation, but I can tell you that this will be a strong and bold operation that will no doubt shake the foundation of the foreign rule of suppression in Eretz Israel. I can enlist you as an observer in this operation, provided that you will act within next two days with the recommendation note I will give you, and if you can be in Jerusalem next week.”
Meir answered: “Amikam, many thanks for your trust in me. I can solemnly promise that I am eager to join the action and I am willing to accept any mission assigned to me by the Irgun. I just want to comment that I hope that the operation will be against property and structures, and that all the necessary precaution will be taken to avoid the killing of innocent people.”
Amikam answered positively, explaining that the enemy suffers human losses only when there is no other way to save the lives of Hebrew fighters. Meir left Amikam's after exchanging a warm hand shake, and with a recommendation note for Arnon, requesting for Meir to be immediately accepted to the Irgun. Meir acted quickly, and on the next day, he completed the swearing-in ceremony as a new member of the Irgun, which was conducted at Arnon's house, in the presence of Smadar. From here on out, events started to unroll at an accelerating pace.
The major and bold attack of the Irgun on the central command of the British army and the center of its civilian government in the King David hotel in Jerusalem was carried out on July 22, 1946. Meir participated in this operation as an observer. The attack was planed with great attention to details and was executed in the precise manner of clockwork in the morning hours of that day. Large amounts of explosives, hidden within large milk cans, were brought into the kitchen in the underground floor of the hotel. Preliminary warnings to evacuate the hotel4 were sent to the principal secretary of the Mandate government as well as to other organizations. Unfortunately, the principal secretary refused to act on the warning, and when the cans exploded, a seven floor section of the hotel hosting the military and civilian government offices collapsed, with the heavy casualties of 25 British, 17 Jews and 41 Arabs. The official organizations of the Yishuv were shocked by the large number of casualties and they quickly condemned the operation. However, the Irgun took responsibility for the operation and blamed the British Government for direct responsibility for the heavy human toll as they refused to evacuate the building.
This bold operation stroked a heavy blow to the prestige of the British rule, and signified the intensifying of the Jewish revolt against them. The Jewish Agency, however, who was very concerned with the possibility of a strong retaliation from the government, was deterred, and within one month decided to withdraw the Haganah from the military struggle against the British government, and to limit their activities to the diplomatic struggle and exerting political pressure on the British. Thus, the Jewish revolt and the military operations returned to being the exclusive activities of the underground organizations of the Irgun and the Lehi. These organizations intensified their operations, incessantly executing more frequent operations. Many of the Haganah members who were disappointed that their organization stopped the revolt, left their organization and joined the Irgun or the Lehi.
After Meir was finally released from the army, he was sent by the Irgun to commander training. At the same time, his mother and his brother found out that Meir joined the Irgun. They discovered this merely by chance. One day, Meir brought home some bottles in order to clean them, and his mother, who understood the purpose of these bottle, told him with a worried look:
“My dear Meir, you have been on the move for so many years , far away from home. Why don't you sit down, relax, and let other people do the job? Isn't your service in the Palmach and the British army enough? Why don't you rest a year or two years and take care of yourself?”
“My dear mother,” Meir answered her shortly, “you must know that what I am doing is something that I deeply feel that I need to do. However, I promise you that I will not do anything dangerous.”
However, before many days passed, Meir went on a bold mission from which he never returned to his home. It was later revealed that according to the mission original planning, it was not Meir who was supposed to participate in the mission but another Irgun member, who for some unknown reason was unable to participate and Meir volunteered last-minute to replace him...
The mission, the bombing of the main train station of Jerusalem, was slated for the afternoon hours of October 30, 1946. On the night before the mission, Meir went to sleep early and asked his mother to leave the window near his bed open, because a friend was supposed to wake him up early in the morning. He told her that if someone came the next day to ask about him, she should say that he drove to Tel-Aviv. And indeed, at a very early hour in the morning, the friend came to wake him up, Meir jumped out of his bed, took a shower, put his clothes on, and said goodbye to his mother, and went on to his mission. His mother did believe that Meir drove to Tel-Aviv, but in reality, Meir and his friend went to the mission staging area.
In accordance with the mission plan, two private cars were confiscated in the morning and the cars' owners were kept under guard until the end of the mission. Meir's part was to drive the smaller car, in which an elegant couple were sitting, disguised as a bride and a groom ready to go on their “honeymoon,” and the “bride” was holding a flower bouquet. Two other Irgun soldiers were also in the car, as well as three suitcases containing 75 kilograms of explosives. Three “Arab porters” drove the other car, and their job was to take out the suitcases and place them in the baggage room of the train station.
The car with the “Arab porters” arrived at the train station on 2:30 pm, and the second car driven by Meir arrived immediately afterwards. The Irgun members left the cars, and the “Arab porters” quickly removed the three suitcases and placed them in the baggage room, where the young woman spread a warning sign with the Irgun logo on the suitcases. However, something went wrong here, and one of the Arab workers in the train station noticed the sign and tried to capture the young woman. The men needed to intervene with their weapons, and when they entered the car, in their hasty retreat, the British guards 5 that stood on the roof of the station started to shoot at them. Several of the men were injured, and sitting at the driver's seat, Meir's left hand was hit by a clip of bullets. Despite the severe injury, his arm was shattered and heavily bleeding, Meir was able to start the car, and drive it at a high speed with exceptional bravery. He went beyond the corner of the Scottish church, and after driving a few hundred meters, he reached the gate of the Yemin Moshe neighborhood, which lies opposite to Mount Zion. There, the mission's participants ran away, and Meir ran an additional distance of about 300 hundred meters on the slippery stones of the old Jewish neighborhood until he reached the house of Mr. Stein, located behind the King David hotel. He entered Mr. Stein's house, fell down on the floor, and asked for first aid. But before the house owners were able to help him, Meir was captured and arrested by several British policemen and soldiers, who were alerted by the sound of the shots at the train station and followed Meir's blood to the Stein's apartment.
[Editor's note: This is as far as Dubi had come in the translation of his father's book. He worked tirelessly to get these essential chapters translated. Thanks to Dubi's dear, long-time friend, David "Dudu" Prusman, we were able to finish translating the remainder of Chapter 29. You may notice, we no longer have footnotes from this point on. However, we know Dubi would be so relieved to know the translation of the most important chapter in his father's book was completed.] Meanwhile, a British policeman tried (ignoring the warning that had been given) to remove the luggage from the train station, and the luggage exploded with a booming noise, which was heard all over the city, and the station was destroyed. The British officers that arrested Meir treated him cruelly, even though they had no proof that he participated in the train act, because he was far away from it. While lying on the floor of the house, one of the officers tried to raise a hand on him, but Meir replied bravely: "Stop, I am a prisoner of war!" But, instead of giving him the essential help he needed, he was transferred to the military prison in the German neighborhood. Meir sharply demanded that he be taken to the hospital, since, otherwise, the responsibility for his life would fall on the officer's head. Only then did the officer accede to his request, and he was sent by ambulance, accompanied by six armed soldiers, to the government hospital in the Russian compound. The condition of his arm was so bad that the doctor immediately asked him if he would agree to have it amputated to prevent blood poisoning, and Meir replied without hesitation: "Amputate!" Meir was lying in the hospital in the same room where Gruner was, who had been injured about six months prior in an attack on the Ramat Gan police, had also undergone a long series of surgeries on his jaw and was not yet recovered from his wounds. The room in which they laid was under the robust guard of policemen. Dov was deeply impressed by the fortitude and courage of the newly wounded warrior who was brought to his room, and despite Meir’s many torments and pains, he bore them with courage and did not complain at all. Also, the fact that Meir had become a cripple did not in any way affect his steadfast spirit, and he still found in his heart the courage to cheer on Dov and the other wounded who were with them in the room. There was something common in the behavior of the two: both carried their heads proudly and their suffering was quiet and submissive, mirroring the same way they had chosen to go into the organization. They were both sure that their actions were cornerstones on the path to national liberation and independence, for which every sacrifice would be just. Even the final and supreme sacrifice that would be required of them – the sacrifice of their souls – would not get them down. On the contrary, they would walk towards this sacrifice in an upright body and in the right spirit. No wonder, then, that a sincere and deep friendship was forged between these two brave warriors, a friendship that lasted until their last days on earth.On the Saturday after the operation at the train station, Rabbi Aryeh Levin, the rabbi of the prisoners, came to visit Meir in the hospital. Rabbi Arieh had been the rabbi of the prisoners for many years, and with his noble personality and outstanding humility, brought much consolation and encouragement to all prisoners of the underground organizations. They treated him as their teacher and spiritual master, and thickets of love were tied between them, deep love and admiration that would last for the rest of their lives. In the rabbi’s impressive appearance, in his eyes radiating love and in his quiet and soothing words, he was someone who encouraged their spirits and eased the burden of their suffering in their long sittings within the grey prison walls.
Meir was extremely happy to see Rabbi Aryeh, because he had been his rabbi and guide for a long time, since the days when he was still studying at Talmud Tora “Etz Chaim.” Rabbi Arieh brought him a warm greeting from his mother, who had not yet been allowed to come see him, and also told him that his two older brothers had been arrested and were transferred to the Latrun camp. Meir was sorry to hear that he was the cause of their arrest, however, Rabbi Aryeh was comforting him and told him that they would surely be released soon. Rabbi Arieh went on and asked him how he felt, and if he was receiving the treatment he needed. Meir replied that he felt good, despite of the pains in his arm, but he was very sorry for the severe suffering he caused his mother, both because of his injury and because of the arrest of his brothers. Rabbi Aryeh was comforting him again and said to him:
"Dear Meir, you must put your trust in God and bear the anguish in love. Salvation of God in the twinkling of an eye. Pray to him with purpose and he will send you salvation soon. I knew your late father, the late R. Eliezer, still abroad, and we both came from the same city, Brest-Litovsk in Russia. You must be proud of your father, who was a dear and God-fearing Jew, and surely his truth will stand for you."
With these words, Rabbi Aryeh comforted Meir, and after promising him to convey a greeting from Meir to his mother, he said goodbye to him with a "Shabbat Shalom" greeting, and left the hospital to visit the rest of the prisoners in the large prison opposite the hospital. Two weeks later when Meir's wounds healed slightly, he was transferred to the prison opposite, while Dov, whose condition was also improved slightly, was soon transferred to the Latrun detention camp.
Dov met with Meir's brothers and gave them a warm greeting from him, and praised the strong spirit and courage of their younger brother.
Dov’s transfer to Latrun came due to some improvement in his health condition, and because of the need, according to his doctors, to wait about three months until the last treatment, which would be assembling the jaw bones.
However, if anyone thought the fact that he had been transferred to the Latrun detention camp, (a place which detained only suspects) and not to jail, was a hint of an improvement in his situation, and a concession of the British not to bring him to trial, they would soon be disappointed. Only a few weeks had passed since his arrival to the Latrun detention camp, when a British official came and officially informed him that on January 1, 1947, his trial would take place in the Jerusalem Military Court, on the charges of an offense in two sections of the Emergency Protection Regulations. According to each of them, he was subject to a sentence of the death penalty.
Dov received the message with his usual peace of mind, and turned to his friends and said, "with trial and with hangings, they will not frighten us.”
Right at the onset of the trial, Dov informed his military judges that he did not recognize the authority of the court to judge him, and read a statement as follows:
" I do not recognize your authority to judge me. This court is deprived of any legal basis, since it was appointed by a government that has no legal basis. You came to the Land of Israel on the basis of a commitment you gave to all nations of the world, to correct the greatest injustice in human history caused to any nation, the injustice of expelling Israel from its land and making it a global victim of persecution and incessant slaughters. This obligation – and only this obligation – was the legal basis and the moral to you being in this country. But you violated it maliciously, with brutal force and in a devilish cunning. You turned your commitment into a piece of paper and tore it to shreds ... "
Dov continued to read his declaration which ended with the following words:
“... and when there is no existing government in any country that is legal, when it becomes a government of oppression and tyranny, it is the right of its citizens – more than that, it is their duty – to fight this power and knock it down. This is what the Hebrew youth do, this is what they will do, until you leave this land and it will be handed over to its rightful owners: to the people of Israel. Because you need to know this: There is no power in the world that can disconnect between the people of Israel and their only country. And he who will try to cut him off - his hand will be cut off and the curse of God will live on in him forever and ever. "
Dov sat down and no longer participated in the trial, even though the president of the court and the prosecutor approached him.
At the end of the trial that day, after they heard all the testimonies, the President of the Tribunal read the following ruling:
"Dov Gruner, the court found you guilty of the two charges in which you are charged. For the first, you are doomed to be hanged around your neck. The tribunal reserves the right to determine the punishment for the second charge."
Immediately after the verdict was read, Dov got to his feet and announced: "In the blood and fire Judah has fallen, in the blood and fire Judah will rise!"
The severe sentence came as a surprise to many among those present in the courtroom. Because after all, the prosecutor himself did not push in the direction of a death sentence. In his concluding remarks, he noted Dov's service for five and a quarter years in the British army, in which he also participated in the battles in Italy; his release from the army at Lance-Corporal with a certificate of Good Behaviour; the fact that out of his entire family, he had only one sister left in America; and finally stated that he had been in the hospital for more than seven months as a result of the severe wound he sustained, and that he would remain an invalid for the rest of his life. However, despite these facts, the judges aggravated the punishment, because they were probably under pressure from the flogging that was inflicted on a major and three British sergeants three days prior by the Etzel members in Netanya, Tel Aviv and Rishon Lezion. These floggings, which came in retaliation for the execution of a flogging verdict against a young Etzel soldier captured during the attack, the reputation of the British was severely damaged, and they decided to treat the prisoners who fell into their hands cruelly.
Indeed, the brutal cruelty of the British was revealed in all its ugliness on that "night of flogging," when a fourth group of Irgun fighters (in addition to the three groups that succeeded in their mission) set out to search for British officers and beat them, but their luck failed and their car ran into a roadblock in the vicinity of Wilhelma-Ramla.
The soldiers guarding the checkpoint opened fire on them, and their car was stopped. One fighter, Avraham Mizrahi, was seriously injured, and his four friends, Yechiel Dresner, Eliezer Kashani, Mordechai Alkahi and Chaim Golovsky, were arrested. The British abused the prisoners, torturing them cruelly.
As a result of the torture, Mizrahi died, while the other four were transferred to a military camp, where they again suffered sadistic torture. Only five days later, they were transferred to the Central Prison Hospital in Jerusalem to receive medical treatment that would restore their human form, since it was not possible to put them under trial, in which the representatives of the world press would be present, until their conditions improved.
Following the sentencing in Dov's trial, he was transferred under heavy security to the Jerusalem Central Prison, dressed in the crimson uniform of the death row inmates and placed in one of the two death cells facing one another, a few steps from the gallows.
In this place, Dov spent the rest of his life on earth, except for the last two days in which he was transferred to the fortress of Acre. For all of the 105 days that Dov lived in the shadow of the gallows, first alone, and then in the company of his fellow destined comrades, his spirit was steadfast and fearless, and he carried his destiny with pride and uprightness, befitting a descendant of those heroes, our warriors from the days of Rabbi Akiva, to those ten ancient royal martyrs who gave their lives for the sanctity of God. On the first Saturday after the verdict, when Rabbi Aryeh Levin came to visit him in the death cell, the rabbi found him standing proud and brave and in a steady and uplifted mood, just as the rabbi was accustomed to seeing him before the sentence. All the commotion that arose around him, both in the country and in the entire world, seemed as if it had not been affecting him at all. He went on with the short life he still had left with complete confidence and sincere faith in the righteousness of his way.
Meanwhile, feverish actions were taken outside to save his life.
Pardon requests began to flow to the High Commissioner and the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army from all sides: from the chief rabbis, from the various institutions of the settlement, from municipalities, organizations and great personalities all over the world. However, all of these were to no avail because the British government decided to show an "iron hand," and try to suppress the revolt with all its might. And one of the means it chose to enforce this purpose was the establishment of hanging poles in the country. However, as we shall see below, these would not serve their purpose: on the contrary, it is the gallows that forged the spirit of rebellion, and hastened the disintegration of British rule in the land.
The National Military Organization, which correctly evaluated the British approach, took the only measure it had a reasonable chance of dissuading the British from carrying out the sentence against Dov.
After the Chief Military Commander upheld the verdict on January 21, 1947, in a directive that said: "Today I confirmed the conviction and the sentence and I command that the sentence will take place in the Jerusalem Prison on January 28, 1947, at 8:00 am,” the Irgun rushed and abducted two people: one, a British intelligence officer In Jerusalem, and the other, the President of the British District Court in Tel Aviv. The British authorities imposed a curfew and conducted a thorough search to find the two hostages, but to no avail. The threats of the authorities to the heads of the settlement to impose a "military lockdown" could not help them either, because the Irgun was adamant with its intention not to release the hostages. And since the Honorable Judge was a member of an important and noble family in England, who exerted strong pressure to save Dov’s life, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army in the country had no choice but to officially announce on the broadcast of the "Voice of Jerusalem" the postponement of the execution of the judgment for an indefinite period. This would allow an appeal to be submitted to the King's Council. Thus, the immediate danger to the life of Dov was removed, and the Irgun released the two hostages.
On February 10, 1947, three more death row inmates were added to the death cells of the Jerusalem Central Prison. These were Yechiel Dresner, Eliezer Kashani and Mordechai Alkahi, who were captured on the night of the flogging. Their fourth friend was sentenced to life in prison, given his young age.
The trial of the four was held on the same day, and they did not attend the trial, but read statements. When the death sentence was announced, the four young men got on their feet and broke out in the tremendous singing of "Hatikva," the echo of which penetrated the hearts of all present in the court, including the judges. When the three were brought to the death cells, Dov received them with words of encouragement and consolation, but their spirits were strong nonetheless. Their sentence was hastily approved by the Commander-in-Chief of the army, who was about to leave the country, and did not want to leave the decision to a commander to come in his place.
The mandatory authorities, however, agreed to postpone the execution of the sentence against them, pending an inquiry into Gruner's case, filed on behalf of his uncle who lived in America.
Meanwhile, throughout the time that had passed since Meir was injured and caught in the operation of the train station in Jerusalem, the underground's operations throughout the country and abroad continued in full force.
On October 31, 1946, the day after the operation at the train station, the British embassy building in Rome was attacked. After the Italian population in the neighborhood of the embassy was warned and was removed from the scene, the building was destroyed by explosives. In November, there were almost daily attacks on railroads, military vehicles and government offices. In January 1947, army and police units were attacked and mines were activated on the main transport routes.
The capture of the two British officials, 24 hours before the date of Dov's execution, led the authorities to isolate all British officials and their families into enclosed areas, surrounded by barbed wire fences, on which heavily armed guards were entrusted to guard day and night. These security zones were jokingly named by the people of the settlement as "Bevingrads" after the name of the British Foreign Secretary, “Bevin” and the notion of the infamous "Stalingrad." Indeed, the British began to fear for their lives and closed themselves into these "ghettos." However, even these "Bevingrads" were not safe, and they were attacked and broken into more than once by Irgun soldiers.
On February 18, 1947, Foreign Minister Bevin announced in the British House of Representatives that the problem of Israel would be brought before the United Nations in its regular session convening in September. Despite the protests of Winston Churchill and Richard Crossman, who demanded transferring the issue to the UN as soon as possible, Bevin insisted that before the autumn, the UN debate would not be possible. However, he was soon forced to change his mind when, following his above-mentioned announcement in the House of Representatives, the Irgun planned and carried out a series of operations on March 1, which shocked the country's institutions of government and toppled its prestige. The main action that day was an attack on the British Officers' Club at the Goldschmidt House within the "security zone," in the heart of Jerusalem, and its demolition during a battle of cover and retreat. In addition to this daring operation, numerous attacks were made on military camps across the country that day, on car clusters and the British police station in the town of Rehovot. The government responded by imposing a military stronghold in Israel, which lasted only 15 days, because despite the military efforts, the Irgun's activities did not decrease. On the contrary, they increased. Almost every day of March, in the days of the military stronghold and after that, the Irgun attacks continued unabated. On the 12th of the month, the army camp was attacked in Schneller, which served as a "British security zone," and was partially destroyed. Three days later, the officers' club and the food warehouse next to it in the army camp of Hadera were attacked and destroyed.
In the following days, the oil pipeline on the Haifa-Kirkuk line was also blown up several times.
All this was already too much also for the “cold temperament” of the British; so on March 31, 1947, Churchill stood up several times in the House of Representatives and shouted: "How long will this situation last? ... Is there no means to hasten the referral to the UN? ... " And the Minister of the Colonies replied: "Appropriate steps have already been taken to see if the matter can be expedited in terms of the UN procedure ... "We are taking steps in New York as quickly as possible." In this way, Bevin's delay tactics were dismissed, and Britain was forced to request a special United Nations General Assembly conference to discuss the Palestine problem as early as April.
However, before we move on to tell the dramatic sequence of events since the United Nations began discussing the problem, we must return to Meir's case, because, meanwhile, March 25, 1947 arrived, which is the day his trial began along with the trials of the other three defendants who were arrested, following the train station explosion, in the British Military Court in Jerusalem.
In the days leading up to the trial, Meir's brother, who had since been released from the arrest camp in Latrun, tried to influence Meir to defend himself in court. The meetings between them at the Central Prison in Jerusalem were held on Saturdays, during official visits. His brother, who studied with a lawyer named Levitsky, the details of the accusation against Meir, was convinced that if Meir would defend himself in court, he had a good chance of succeeding, because after all, he was not caught at the place of the attack but at a place very far away, and he would, therefore, be able to claim that he was accidentally injured while walking in the Yemin Moshe neighbourhood by shots fired in the area. There was no direct evidence that Meir participated in the attack at the train station, and his fingerprints did not remain on the steering wheel of the car. However, Meir replied that he was a soldier and that he had to fulfil the instructions of his commanders; but rather, if his brother succeeded in persuading the “Irgun” to allow him to defend himself, he would do so willingly.
Following Meir's position, his brother contacted the Irgun's representative, and he promised him that if it turned out that Meir had any chance of defending himself in court and succeeding, then, not only would they allow him to defend himself, but they would also give him all the legal help he would need:
But, the representative said, Levitsky had told him that Meir had no chance. It was in total contradiction to what the same lawyer said to Meir's brother, when he came to comprehend with him the details of the accusation: he confirmed to him then that if Meir defended himself, there is hope that he would succeed ... in the meantime, the trial began and it became clear that it was decided that two of the defendants would defend themselves, while Meir and another defendant would not defend themselves, but would make statements.
Meir's courage and heroism were apparent as soon as the trial commenced. He asked his family members not to waste their energy and try to save him, because if there is another spark of human emotion in the hearts of his judges, they would in any case understand the background of the heroic deeds of the Israeli fighters; however, since it was highly doubtful whether they have such an emotion left, it is not worth the efforts. And faithful to his words: "it is better to die with honor than to live in the lowlands."
Meir, despite being the youngest of his comrades in action to be captured, declared the following statement before his judges. And these were his words which he read in his handwriting:
"Occupation Army Officers!
Hanging Trees Regime – This is the regime you want to rule in this land, designed to serve as a tower of light for all mankind. And in your wickedness, you assume, that by this regime you will succeed in breaking the spirit of our people, the people that the whole country faced gallows for it. You were wrong! You will realize that you came across steel. In the steel that hardens to the fire of love and hate – the love of the homeland and freedom, hatred for enslavement and invasion. It is burning steel, it will not break. You will burn your hands.
How blind you are, British tyrants, don’t you realize yet who stood up against you in this journey, a journey that has no example in human history? Will you scare us with death? Us, that for years we listened to the tact of the wheels of those carriages, which led our brothers, our parents, the best of our people, for slaughter, which also has no precedent in human history?
Us who have asked and are asking ourselves every day: In what way are we better than them, our millions of brothers? Why are we privileged? We could be between them and with them in the days of fear and in the moments of death…
And to these questions, which come and go, there is one answer in our conscience: We have not survived to live and expect, under conditions of slavery and oppression, a new Treblinka . We remained alive, to ensure life, freedom and respect for us, our people, our sons and their sons for generations and generations. We stayed alive, so that what happened there would never happen again and might happen under your rule, the rule of betrayal, the rule of blood.
Therefore, we should not be intimidated. We learned our lesson and learned through many unnecessary sacrifices…there is life which is worse than death and there is death greater than life. And if you have not yet understood the vision of a nation that has nothing to lose but bondage and slavery, other than the perspective of a new Majdanek – this is a sign that you have been dazzled, that you will be taken off the stage from which The Supreme Providence lowers all those who rise up against the eternal people for their destruction. Assyria and Babylon, Greece and Rome, Spain and Germany preceded you – but you will follow. This is world law.
This is what I wanted to say to you, British officers, to you and your senders. As for me, I am a prisoner, and I demand treatment as a prisoner of war."
Upon reading the statement, Meir sat on his defendant’s bench and did not participate any more in the trial, which lasted eight days, except for one case which will be told below.
He sat and read the newspapers his brother had brought him, and from time to time turned his head and smiled towards him, and his girlfriend, who was sitting next to his brother. The whole course of the trial was as if it had nothing to do with him, and when he was approached by the president of the tribunal, he pretended not to hear, and the president of the tribunal wrote in the protocol: "Silent with malicious intent and contempt of court."
One day in the trial, Yedidya, Korin and Yoram appeared in the courtroom and sat down on the bench next to Meir's brother. Meir noticed them immediately and his face lit up. He appreciated their courage (because there was a risk of the young people coming to the courtroom because they could be suspected by the British as members of the Underground) and he gained a lot of encouragement from their presence. Suddenly Meir stood up on his feet and asked permission to interrogate one of the witnesses – a British policeman. This came as a big surprise, and the British prosecutor and judges wondered: Has there been a change in the defendant's attitude?
But soon they realized what it was all about, and their faces fell. Meir held out to the witness Abba Ahimair's book, "Reportage of a Yeshiva Boy," which his brother and girlfriend bought as a gift to him three days before. Below the dedication words written on the inside page, a large swastika was drawn and below it was written in broken English: "They are not dead yet." "This book," Meir told the British witness, "I left in your car when I was sent back to prison last Friday. When the book was returned to me, I found this message written in it. Do you know who wrote it?" The witness was embarrassed, and the president of the tribunal asked to see the message, and remarked: "Certainly not an Englishman wrote it, a swastika is painted here!" "Yes," Meir replied, "Hitler is dead, but his students and friends of Bevin do not shame his teachings.” Although Meir refused to recognize the authority of the British court to sentence him and did not participate in the trial, his brother tried several times during the trial to intervene and defend him. As a first step, he presented before the court, even before the trial actually began, an official birth certificate according to which Meir was 17 years and eight months old, and on the basis of this certificate he demanded that he would be recognized as Meir’s guardian so that he could defend him even if it was against his will. The certificate and the application were submitted to the military prosecutor, and he was very angry because if the certificate was proven correct, it would mean that Meir was only 15 years old when he enlisted in the army, and this would cause shame to the British army, recruiting such young men! The prosecutor, Major Stubbs, ordered, therefore, to take Meir for an X-ray examination to determine his age at the government doctor. But the doctor confirmed that according to his test, Meir was younger than the age of 18! Major Stubbs was furious and told Meir's brother that he would order the government doctor (who was Jewish) to be banned, and he sent Meir under heavy security for further examination by a military doctor at the Be'er Ya'akov Hospital. This doctor, who was a British military captain, came to court and testified that his X-ray examination proved that Meir was 25, and in any case, over the age of 23! Meir's brother got to his feet and asked permission to interrogate the military expert and prove the absurdity of his remarks, but the president of the tribunal refused to allow him to do so. On Thursday, April 3, 1947, in the afternoon, the trial against the four defendants ended, and after a 45-minute court consultation, the judges returned and announced that Meir and Azulai were found guilty on all three charges brought against them, whereas the other two defendants were acquitted. Meir's brother, now granted permission to speak, tried again, after describing the history of Meir's life and his good behavior in the army, to convince the court that Meir was only 17 years and eight months old, and asked to be allowed to bring additional witnesses to prove this. But the president of the tribunal stopped him and said that the judges are convinced that Meir was over the age of 18 and they did not want to hear any further evidence on this matter. Relatives of the accused were asked if they would like to say something more to ease the sentence. No one stood up. The judges again went out for a consultation to determine the degree of punishment. When they returned 20 minutes later, the president of the tribunal announced the death sentence against Meir and his friend. The two got up on their feet and proclaimed: "In the blood and fire Judah has fallen, in blood and fire Judah will rise!" Their relatives were not permitted to say goodbye to them, and the prisoners were taken out of the court while iron chains bound their hands and feet. They were taken to the cells of the prisoners sentenced to death in the Central Prison in Jerusalem, where they joined five other death row inmates, four of whom were sentenced to death already by the army commander: Dov Gruner, Yechiel Dresner, Eliezer Kashani and Mordechai Alkahi. The fifth man sentenced to death, whose sentence had not yet been confirmed, was a young man named Moshe Barzani, a man of the “Lehi” organization, was captured on March 9, 1947, at the corner of Rashi and Tachkemoni streets, near the British army camp in Schneller, with a hand grenade in his pocket. It happened in the earlier part of the morning that day, while the Makor Baruch neighbourhood, similar to other neighbourhoods in Jerusalem, was under a military lockdown imposed in retaliation for the bombing of the officers' club "Goldschmidt" by the Irgun. Three British policemen who were riding in an armed car, ran into Moshe, surprised him by attacking him from behind, aimed their submachine guns at his back and demanded that he take his hands out of his pockets. After searching his clothes, the grenade was found, and he was arrested. His trial took place in the military tribunal, just eight days after he was caught, on March 17th, and lasted only 90 minutes. After the testimony of the three police officers who apprehended him, another British officer testified, and told the court that the brigadier, commander of the 9th Division, who had been in charge of the operation Hippo (which is the operation of the Military Lockdown), used to pass through the same streets, in the vicinity in which Barzani was caught. The military prosecutor did not directly accuse the young man of an attempt to assassinate the British commander, because there was no proof of that, however, he said the assassin's intent seemed clear, and the very fact that he was carrying the grenade in the same military surroundings was a great danger. Moshe refused to appoint himself a defence attorney, and when the president of the tribunal read the indictment and asked him if he admitted or denied, he did not answer the question and only asked to say a number of words. His request was granted to him, and he stood up and declared: "The Hebrew people see you as an enemy and a foreign rule in their homeland. We, the people of Lehi, are fighting you for the liberation of the homeland. In this war I fell into your hands as a prisoner and you have no authority to judge me… Hangings will not frighten us, and you will not destroy us. My people and all the enslaved nations will fight your empire to the bitter end." Moshe finished, sat down and was silent. The death sentence was not long in coming, and Moshe received the message with complete peace of mind, he repeated his call: "You do not frighten us with hangings" ... and began to sing the "Hatikva," but the police man interrupted him from his singing; they forcibly dragged him from his seat and bound his hands and feet in chains. Before he was taken out of the hall, his call was heard: "To the settlement – Be strong and courageous." And so, when Meir and Azulai arrived at the death cells, the two small cells were already occupied with five crimson wearers: Gruner and Dresner in one cell, while Kashani, Alkahi and Moshe Barzani were in the second cell. The next day, on the eve of Passover, Meir and Azulai were transferred to Acre Prison. Meir's brother, who learned of the transfer, took Meir's girlfriend with him and they went together on Passover to Acre to visit him. They were allowed to enter the fortress in the afternoon for a brief visit, and they saw him standing behind the iron bars in the cell of the death convicts. Meir felt a little unwell due to abdominal pain, but his mood was steady, and he was very happy for their arrival. Before the end of the visit, his brother managed to influence the officer who was guarding him, to allow Meir to hug his girlfriend. Meir bent over his girl and kissed her, hugging with one hand in a tight hug. On Tuesday, Meir had another visit at the Acre prison, and this time his mother, sister and two brothers came. They encouraged him and tried to convince him to sign a pardon request, which they thought would save his life. Meir, however, answered them firmly: "When six million of our brethren were destroyed in Europe, what did you do? At most you sighed. Now that it's about your brother, you are making such noise?" And they could not sway him from his position. He only asked his older brother to try to get him back to Jerusalem, because he wanted to be in Gruner's company. The effort was successful, and on the following Monday, April 14th, indeed they transferred Meir and his friend to Jerusalem. Meir's wish to meet Dov Gruner was not fulfilled, because on the same day, in the early hours of the morning, Dov and his three friends were transferred, accompanied by heavy military detail, from the Jerusalem Central Prison to the prison in Acre. It was a fateful transfer, because not two days had passed, and the Hebrew settlement, and with it, the world, were all horrified to hear the bitter news of the hanging of Gruner and his three friends. In the dark of night, in complete surprise, without confession and without parting from their families, the four were hanged, while they sang "Hatikva." Gruner, Dresner, Kashani and Alkahi, God will avenge their blood, were buried in the Safed cemetery, a place where, despite the curfew imposed upon the city, about 300 people gathered to pay their last respects. Heavy mourning fell on the community, and protests and mourning rallies were held in all the countries where Jewish people lived. Not another day passed, when another blow was inflicted upon the settlement when the authorities announced that the army commander had confirmed the death sentences of Moshe and Meir, and that the sentence of Azoulai was lifted, and replaced with life imprisonment. That's how the two young men came to stay in the death row of the Central Prison in Jerusalem. Meir, a member of the Irgun, and Moshe, a member of the Lehi, who never parted again until their last breath. In the meantime, requests had been sent to the High Commissioner to pardon the two by many prominent figures, among them: Mr. David Ben-Gurion, on behalf of the Jewish Agency; Mr. Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, on behalf of the National Committee; the chief rabbis: Rabbi Herzog, Rabbi Uziel and Rabbi Meir Berlin, on behalf of the World Federation of the Mizrahi; Rabbi Y. M. Levin, on behalf of “Agudat Israel;” Mr. Y. Rokah, on behalf of the Tel Aviv Municipality; Attorney A. Levitsky, on behalf of the family; and finally, by Prof. Haim Weizmann, president of the Zionist Organization, who wrote a personal letter to the High Commissioner, with an urgent request to pardon the two young men. On Saturday, Meir’s girlfriend, his mother and brother, came to visit him, and they tried once again to convince him to sign a pardon request. They told him about the many pardon requests addressed to the High Commissioner by the various leaders of the coummunity, and they noted that in their opinion, his signature would help lighten his verdict. Meir, however, insisted and replied that he would not sign unless his brother brought him instructions from the Irgun. During the visit, his brother handed him a box of sweets and fruit which he had relayed from a young man and a woman, who had asked him to give it to Meir, and tell him that it was a gift from his friends in a kibbutz in the north of the country. After the box had passed the normal review of his guards, Meir later discovered in it a note that had been carefully folded inside one of the candies. It read: "Dear Meir! In respect and admiration, be strong and courageous! On behalf of your friends in 'Palmach,' Gideon and Musia " This note made him very pleased and tears welled up in his eyes because it showed him that his war, although carried out under the banner of the Irgun, was also appreciated by his comrades in Palmach, where he received the beginning of his military education. He was especially happy to see the signatures of Gideon and Musia, which he had not seen since the meeting in Haifa in the company of Yedidya’s group. Their signature also proved to him that the day in which the forces of the Haganah and the Palmach would also be rescued for the final war of liberation would not be far away, and this would inevitably lead to the complete liberation of the people and the establishment of the independent Hebrew state. With this knowledge, it was easier for him to access the last and supreme sacrifice required of him: the sacrifice of his life on the altar of the people, in a way that would instill respect for the Hebrew warrior. Because, even then, the decision was mature in his heart to carry out the actions as planned: Already in his meeting with his mother, brother and girlfriend on Saturday he told them that the rope will not go around his neck...but they had not understood the intent of his words. That afternoon, Meir's brother and his girlfriend met with the Irgun's representative, in order to obtain permission of the organization for Meir to sign the pardon application. The man promised them he would forward the request to the headquarters, and expressed his hope for the answer the following day. The next day, on Sunday, they met again, and the Irgun spokesman said that he had not yet received an answer from the headquarters, but in his personal opinion, the answer would be authorizing Meir to have the freedom to decide himself, although in the opinion of the Irgun, he does not need to sign. On the same day, Meir's brother met another representative of the Irgun (who was one of the participants in the attack on the train station, and at night after the attack, he was detained together with Meir's two brothers in the "Kishla" in the old city of Jerusalem) and he gave him explicit instructions on behalf of the Irgun that Meir should sign the request for pardon. Meir's brother could not check and clarify this point further, because on the next day, Monday morning, he was allowed to visit Meir again with his mother and his girlfriend. This time the meeting took place in the room of the prison commander, Mr. G. Meir's brother informed him of the permission given to him by the Irgun to sign the pardon request. But Meir doubted it. Then his brother told him that he was taking responsibility for it. Yet they had to convince him for more than half an hour, and his mother cried and said that she would never forgive him if he refused to sign. Finally, after much deliberation, Meir realized that if he refused to sign, then his mother and brother would lament over it for the rest of their lives, and would believe in their hearts that if he signed, he would stay alive! In order to save them this sorrow – he bent down and signed the piece of paper given to him. But in what mental pain he did it! He knew for sure that his dear relatives did not understand the full meaning of his words when he told them at the previous meeting: "The rope will not go up around my neck." After the signing, the hearts of his relatives were relieved as they believed firmly that by doing so, the danger of death that hovered over his life was removed. They hugged him to their hearts and said goodbye to him with the words: "Be strong and embrace." That day, at four in the afternoon, Meir's brother and girlfriend went to one of the houses on Queen Helen Street, bordering the area of the Central Prison in the Russian Compound, and stood on the porch of one of the apartments on the second floor. Through the binoculars, they looked out over the prison entrance plaza, which was not far from where they stood. They saw Meir and his colleague Moshe, walking back and forth in the plaza, and the guard policemen guarding them in the corner. Meir walked next to Moshe, who was shorter than him, both of them dressed in the crimson clothes of those sentenced to death and conversing in a whisper. From time to time, they glanced at the sky and at the direction of the Old City, which was not far from the place where they were walking. It's hard to guess what they talked about during that half-hour of their last walk on earth: Did Meir tell his friend about his birthplace in the Old City? And about the place of the temple and the Mount of Olives that stood out in front of the window of his old house, a place where he grew up until the time his parents moved to the New City? And perhaps they spoke of ancient times. The times when the city of Jerusalem existed in all its glory, as a place which people from all over the world were admiring, and as the capital of the great kingdom of Judah. And now, foreign enemies control it? We will never know. However, there the sun began to set towards the west, elongated shadows of various objects began to spread over the land, and the two young men, sentenced to death, were ordered by their guards to re-enter their prison cell. Meir's brother and girlfriend left that place, got out of the house and began to return to their homes. For some reason, they had a feeling of relief in their hearts, because they believed that Meir would indeed receive a pardon, and his sentence would be eased. With that assurance, they parted from one another. But the fate of the two young men had already been decided. That day the two wrote to their friends: "Brothers! Greetings! Receive our last blessing and do not be broken in spirit as we pay in our lives. But we will avenge the bloodshed of our four shed brothers. Just as every power in the world will not move us from our position, we will hope that no force will break you. You will carry with respect the emblem of rebellion and continue until redeemed (and we will be redeemed). We are proudly marching towards death. M. F. M. B" The original plan was for Meir and Moshe to blow themselves up with a hand grenade, which was smuggled into their cell, while the British officers would come to take them to the gallows. And thus, carry out his idea of Samson: "My soul shall die with the Philistines." This is what they meant when they wrote to their friends: "... We will avenge the revenge of the blood of our four shed brothers." However, at the last minute, they changed the plan, because Rabbi Goldman, who came that evening to say a confession with them, told them that after the confession was over, he would stay inside the prison and return to them later. Rabbi Goldman, who was summoned by the prison authorities, came into their cell at 9:30 am and stayed in their company for about an hour and a half. During this time, the three discussed matters of the utmost importance: on death and destiny from heaven; on the greatness of God and the destiny of the Hebrew people; and on the love of the homeland and on the sanctification of God. The rabbi reminded them of the Ten Martyrs in Roman times – Rabbi Akiva and his friends, and the long affair of the sanctification of God by the Hebrew people through all generations to present day, the bloody days of the Holocaust when Hitler annihilated the Jews of Europe. Rabbi Goldman went on to tell them that they should be proud that they were about to die for the sanctification of God, and to fulfill their destiny with precision and out of deep faith. The two replied to the rabbi that they had thought well of their deeds since joining the ranks of the warriors, they knew what was expected of them and did not shy away. They were convinced that there would be a reward for their actions and that future generations would recognize it. They continued to talk about matters of eternal life and Moshe recalled the book Minchat Yehuda, written by his grandfather, while Meir noted that his late father wrote a commentary on the book Shir Hashirim. The rabbi replied that the two books were in his library, and they continued to talk about the contents of the books and eternal life. At 11 pm, the rabbi told them that because they were about to give their lives in the sanctification of God, there was no need for him to recite before them the customary confession of sins, and instead, he suggested that they sing together the song of praise to the Creator, "Lord of the World." The two agreed, but they asked the rabbi to sing the praises to the Lord of the worlds. And so, within the gray prison walls, just a few steps away from the gallows, suddenly, the three voices broke out, and with great gusto, they sang together the song that the believing Jew says in his prayer every morning: The Lord of the Universe who reigned
before anything was created.
When all was made by his will
He was acknowledged as King.
And when all shall end
He still all alone shall reign.
He was, He is,
and He shall be in glory.
And He is one, and there is no other,
to compare or join Him.
Without beginning, without end
and to Him belongs dominion and power.
And He is my God, my living God.
to Him I flee in time of grief,
and He is my miracle and my refuge,
who answers the day I shall call.
To Him I commit my spirit,
in the time of sleep and awakening,
even if my spirit leaves,
God is with me, I shall not fear. After the singing, Meir asked the rabbi if he could give his last words: "I ask the Hebrew people to understand once and for all that there is nothing to wait for, as long as there is an impure nation that infests our land and wants to destroy us. My last words: It is better to die with a weapon in your hands than to live with the hands raised up. It is better to die with dignity than to live in humiliation. I apologize to my mother and brother for the grief I caused them and hope they will be proud of me. I ask the family: Do not be broken in your spirit! I apologize to all my friends and especially to Rabbi Aryeh Levin, who I learned with at Talmud-Torah "Etz-Hayim." I ask specifically from my girlfriend not to remain alone, and ask her to promise this. I ask that she will marry and if she has sons she will call one of them by my name. I wish her all the best. To my brother, I want to say that I forgive him, if he lied to me. Even if it was his fault, I ask that he will be forgiven. The treatment towards me on the part of the English guard was kind." After Moshe also gave his last words to his family, the rabbi said goodbye to them with a priestly blessing, and at their request he took from them the remaining cigarettes and fruits in order to distribute them in their name to their friends in prison. As noted earlier, the rabbi told them he would stay in the prison and return to them later. They begged him not to return, but he insisted that he would not leave them until the last minute. For about 10 minutes, Meir and Moshe were left alone, whispering to one another. Because the original plan "Mental Mortality with the Philistines" was no longer feasible, because of the rabbi’s presence, this plan needed to be changed, and instead they would have to do what did King Saul (who took the sword and fell on it), and Eleazar ben Yair and his warriors on Mt. Masada (who took their lives with their own hands as long as they did not fall into the hands of the evil hands of the foreigners) did. They hurried, therefore, with their plan, they huddled in the corner of the cell, so that the policeman standing in the corridor would not see. They hugged each other and placed the grenade between them on their hearts, and they cried out: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One” and with the word "one" they lit the match and brought it to the wick. There was a huge explosion, and the souls of the two young men were lifted up in a whirlwind to heaven. Indeed, the two died with supreme heroism for the sanctification of God, and the whole verse is fulfilled in them: הנאהבים והנעימים בחייהם ובמותם לא נפרדו, מנשרים קלו, מאריות גברו, לעשות"
."רצון קונם, וחפץ צורם The supreme act of heroism of the two young warriors – by standing alone in their prison cell, against the mighty power of their enemies – managed to deceive them and ruin their plot, aroused a wave of admiration in the Hebrew community and around the world. Along with the great sorrow caused to the families and the entire settlement due to the heroic deaths of the two young warriors, were also merged with the feeling of encouragement and pride for the sublime form in which the lives of the two came to an end. Early in the morning, when the whole city was under a regime of a strict curfew that had begun in the early evening hours, Jewish police officers came to preach the bitter news to the families of Meir and Moshe. The officers stood at the door with their heads bowed, and the families immediately understood what it was all about; However, when the officers hurried to tell them how the lives of the young men came to an end, some relief came to the hearts of the family members: as if the deep sadness gave way to a feeling of pride. The family members received special permits to attend the funeral, which was held in the morning on Tuesday, 2 in Iyar Tashaz , (April 22, 1947), and in addition to them, Rabbi Aryeh Levin, the rabbi of the prisoners, was also invited. The funeral procession left the morgue in the Russian compound, accompanied by a heavy military detail, and continued to the cemetery on the Mount of Olives. Their graves were overlooking Mount Moriah, the place where our ancestor, Abraham, bound his son Isaac. Meir's grave is also adjacent to the grave of his father, the late R. Eliezer, as well as the grave of his grandfather, the author of the book about "Song of Songs." Before closing the graves, Rabbi Aryeh Levin and Meir's brother eulogized the dead. The words were engraved on the tombstone that was later erected on Meir's grave: כרע שכב כארי
פ"נ
הקדוש מאיר הי"ד
בן הר"ר אליעזר פיינשטיין ז"ל
שעלה קרבן על מזבח האומה
במותו מות גבורים באביב נעוריו
ביום שלישי, ב' אייר תש"ז
ת.נ.צ.ב.ה. Kneeled and lay like a lion
Here was buried
Holy Meir God will avenge his blood
Who offered a sacrifice on the altar of the nation
In his heroic death he died in the spring of his youth
On Tuesday, 2 Iyar Tasha”z
May his Soul be bound in the bond of life
Notes for Chapter 29
- 1. Yechiam - a name meaning (in Hebrew) "let the people live."
- 2. Meir's girlfriend - was not explicitly described by name but my father was likely referring to Rachel Kramer, who was later engaged in secret to Meir.
- 3. “Black Saturday” - a major operation by the British in a failed attempt to stop the Jewish revolt in Eretz Israel. It was called Operation Agatha by the British.
- 4. Warnings to evacuate the King David hotel - were also sent to the nearby French Consulate and to the Palestine Post newspaper. The Irgun claimed early on that they sent these warnings, while the British refuted these claims. The Irgun's claims were finally verified when the detailed research of Thurston Clarke, embedded in his novel, "By Blood and Fire", was published in 1981 (by Hutchinson).
- 5. The British guards - were actually waiting for the Irgun soldiers in ambush because of the betrayal of the Irgun's member Heinrich Reinhold. Apparently in 1967, when the novel was written, my father did not have all the detailed information which is now known about this operation.