Where was the great cry for the cause of the arabs when the british occupied what was to become Israel?
King David Hotel Bombing:
the Straw that Broke the British Back
The King David Hotel in Jerusalem was the location of British government
and military headquarters, representing the very center of British rule. It
looked impregnable, with British tanks and troops guarding it from behind
high barricades. It was considered the “safest” place in Jerusalem. In
addition to housing the British military staff and the highest British
officials, it contained all crucial government records.
A group of some ten Irgun men disguised themselves as the Sudanese who
daily supplied milk to the British headquarters. They carried large milk
cans on their shoulders; but on that summer morning, the cans were full of
powerful explosives instead of milk. The explosives had a time-clock fuse.
Only July 22, 1946, disguised Irgun men entered the King David Hotel in the
late morning without a hitch, and arrived in the basement kitchen. Instead
of carrying their milk cans into the kitchen, they placed them against the
basement pillars. British guards noted an oddity in the behavior of the
milkmen as they started to leave. They were ordered to halt. A basement
battle erupted. Several British soldiers were shot. Two Jews were wounded.
The British guards who dispersed the “milkmen” were unaware of the
explosives left behind against the pillars. As was customary in the
destruction of public buildings where civilians might be present, the Irgun
began telephoning warnings to the British headquarters in the King David
Hotel. The calls informed the authorities in the building that the building
would be blown up in twenty minutes. One of the first warning calls was
received by Colonial Chief Sir John Shaw. Informed of the warning, he said,
“I am here to give orders to the Jews, not to receive orders from
them.” With this in mind, Sir John hurried to the front door of the hotel,
placed guards on it, and issued orders that nobody was to leave.
At 12:30 P.M., precisely twenty minutes after the first warning, the King
David Hotel blew apart. The confined space of the basement heightened the
force of the escaping gases, and the explosion reached the whole height of
the building. As the B.B.C. put it, an entire wing of the huge building was
cut off as with a knife. The Military High Command was demolished. Ninety
people were killed. Many were injured. The British records were destroyed.
The blow to British rule and prestige was incalculable, and it would not be
long before the British would evacuate Palestine completely. |
