TRIAL OF JEWS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24912, 27 June 1946, Page 5

TRIAL OF JEWS

THIRTY-ONE ACCUSED OF CARRYING ARMS

SCRIPTURES QUOTED IN MILITARY COURT

(Rec. 7 p.m.) JERUSALEM, June 25. A hushed Military Court, trying the 31 young Jews, alleged to be members of the Irgun Zvai Leumi organisation and charged with carrying firearms and explosives, heard two of the accused reciting passages from the Scriptures in Hebrew in their defence. After this the president adjourned the Court while the military prosecutor explained the legal procedure to the accused.

The passages quoted were Deuteronomy, chapter XI, verses 23 and 24; and Ezekiel, chapter XI, verses 17 and 18. The verses from Deuteronomy are:— 23. Then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. 24. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.

From Ezekiel, the passage quoted was: 17. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will, even gather you Irom the people, And assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18. And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.

Twenty-one witnesses were called for the 'prosecution. One of the prisoners declared that the Jews had no arms when they clashed with British soldiers near Tel Aviv.