The Violent Herut Demonstration Telegram from Moshe Sharett to Israeli Legations, 8.1.1952
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273 [19] The Violent Herut Demonstration Telegram from Moshe Sharett to Israeli Legations, 8.1.1952 Tension concerning the reparations issue has emerged in Israel in recent days as a result of propaganda by Herut and Mapam, assisted by the General Zionists. Herut and Mapam have organized street rallies. Begin announced that Herut will thwart the negotiations “plot” and called for mass action. Prior to the Knesset debate, Herut mobilized its members in Jerusalem and called-up hundreds from other cities for a demonstration against the Knesset. As the debate began, Herut followers gathered in Zion Square, Begin incited against the government and called upon the demonstrators to march on the Knesset. At the opening of the session, the prime minister reviewed the chain of events regarding reparations, and announced that the Bonn chancellor had proposed negotiations in writing and undertaken to accept our claim with the March 1951 note as the basis. He concluded with a statement that the government would do everything to secure that claim. His speech was heard in a silence that continued through the speeches by Rimalt (General Zionists) and Chazan (Mapam). In the middle of the speech by Raphael (Hapoel Hamizrachi), who was in favor, the Herut demonstration reached the Knesset area from Zion Square equipped with sticks, stones and tear gas. The demonstrators also threw stones from rooftops. The police stood by, ready with barbed wire, and used their batons and tear gas. A specific order not to open fire was given and was strictly observed. Some 100 policemen were injured in the fracas, some critically. Stones were thrown at the Knesset windows, splinters of glass showered the interior of the House, and tear gas drifted inside. The session continued. When the army was brought in, and it also did not open fire, the attackers dug in and it became quiet outside. In his speech, Begin hurled an insulting epithet at the prime minister and refused Speaker Serlin’s demand to retract it. The Speaker suspended the session which resumed three hours later with Begin’s apology. The conclusion of his speech was an overt call for revolt. He announced that this was his last speech in the Knesset as he was waiving his immunity, for when the Altalena was shelled he had said “No,” but this DOI 10.1515/9783110255386.273, , published by De Gruyter. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 License. 274 Moshe Sharett Telegram to Israeli Legations, 8.1.1952 time he would say “Yes” for there will never be negotiations and people had taken to the barricades for lesser reasons, and so on. The clear meaning of the speech was the renewal of the Irgun underground and acts of violence. The session was concluded with an extremely fiery speech by Lavon. The debate was renewed in the evening and will be concluded with a vote tonight. The challenge posed by Herut obliges the government to make a considered and vigorous response..