Olei Hagardom
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Olei Hagardom (Hebrew: "Those hanged in the gallows", עולי הגרדום) is the term commonly used for those Jewish fighters that were tried before British Mandate courts and executed by hanging, usually in the Acre prison. In total, together with 2 Nili fighters, there were 15 "Olei Hagardom".
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[edit] History
[edit] Ottoman era
The group Nili was a Jewish espionage network which assisted the United Kingdom in its fight against the Ottoman Empire in the Land of Israel during World War I. In October 1917, the Turks surrounded Zichron Yaakov and arrested numerous people, including Joseph Lishansky and Naaman Belkind. They were both sentenced to death. On December 16, 1918 they were executed by hanging in Damascus. Lishansky and Belkind were essentially the first "Olei Hagardom". They are usually not listed in the same list of "Olei Hagrdom" though they were commemorated in much the same way.
[edit] British era
The British Mandate of Palestine was a territory in the Middle East comprising modern Israel, formerly belonging to the Ottoman Empire entrusted to the United Kingdom to administer in the aftermath of World War I as a Mandate Territory.
Upon the publication of the White Paper in May 1939, the militant group Etzel concentrated all its efforts against the British. On the outbreak of World War II, militant activities against the British were stopped. But a leader within the group, Avraham Stern, claimed that the fight against the British should continue, even though Britain was at war with Germany. This formed the split between Etzel and Lehi. In 1944, after it was already clear that the victory of the Allies was only a question of time, Etzel rejoined the fight against the British. As the second World War approached its end, the mainstream group Haganah also joined the liberation fight within a union called The United Resistance.
Olei HaGardom refer to 9 Etzel fighters, 3 Lehi fighters and one Haganah fighter, which were sentenced to death during this period.
[edit] List of Olei Hagardom
[edit] Etzel fighters
- Shlomo Ben Yoseph: The first Ole Hagardom. He was arrested after an attack in Safed. He was executed on June 29, 1938.
- Dov Groner: Arrested while attacking the British Police station in Ramat Gan. He was executed on April 16, 1947.
- Mordechai Elkachai, Yehiel Drezner, Eliezer Kshani: Arrested en route an operation to beat British officiers as retaliation for a whipping punishment inflicted by the British on an Etzel member. They were executed on April 16, 1947.
- Meir Feinstein:Captured after bombing the train station in Jerusalem. Committed suicide in his jail cell with a hidden grenade in order to avoid the execution, on April 21, 1947.
- Jacov Weiz, Avshalom Haviv, Meir Naker: Convicted for their roles in the Acre Prison Break. Executed on July 29, 1947.
[edit] Lehi fighters
- Eliyahu Hakim, Eliyahu Bet-Zuri: Assassinated Lord Moyne in Cairo. Executed in Cairo on March 22, 1945.
- Moshe Barazani:Captured while carrying a grenade and accused of attempting to assassinate Brigadier Davis, the British army commander of Jerusalem. Committed suicide together with Meir Feinstein in his jail cell with a hidden grenade in order to avoid the execution, on April 21, 1947.
[edit] Haganah fighters
- Mordechai Shwartz: Killed an Arab policeman. Executed on August 16, 1938. Sometimes the Hagahah fighter is not listed as a 'Ole Hagardom' but he's commemorated in much the same way.
[edit] Barazani and Feinstein
Moshe Barazani and Meir Feinstein committed suicide in their prison cell with handgrenades smuggled to them within an orange basket. The 2 grenades were cleverly disguised as oranges by Lehi fighter Eliezer Ben Ami. The original plan was to use them at the gallows, but after learning that Rabbi Goldman will be present at the time of the execution, the plan was dropped. Barazani and Feinstein embraced the grenades to their chests and killed themselves shortly before the execution.
[edit] Etzel actions to stop the executions
After Jacov Weiz, Avshalom Haviv, Meir Naker were given a death sentence, Etzel captured two British policemen who exited a coffee shop in Netanya. Etzel announced that hanging its fighters will result in the subsequent hanging of the British policemen. The Etzel fighers were hanged and on July 30, 1947 the British policemen were found hanged as well in Netanya.
Menachem Begin spoke of the event saying: "it was one of the most bitter moments of my life but the cruel action in Netanya not only saved dozens of Jews from the gallows but also broke the neck of the British occupation, because when the gallows break down, the British rule, which is relied on it, breaks on its own". After this event, there were no more executions of Jewish fighters by the British.
[edit] Commemorating Olei Hagardom
Numerous streets in Israel are named after Olei Hagardom or after specific executed fighters. In the Ramat Aviv neighbourhood in Tel Aviv and the Armon Haneziv neighbourhood in Jerusalem , there is a street named after each executed fighter. In Ramat Gan, there is an official square and statue in commemoration of Dov Groner and Olei Hagardom. An official commemoration ceremony takes place every Yom Ha-zikkaron eve at the Olei Hagardom memorial in the central street of Rishon LeZion.
