Altalena: Israel's Gun Control Origins

[MicroBalrog]

http://www.etzel.org.il/english/ac20.htm

Salient quote from the article:

To: M. Begin
By special order from the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces, I am empowered to confiscate the weapons and military materials which have arrived on the Israeli coast in the area of my jurisdiction in the name of the Israel Government. I have been authorized to demand that you hand over the weapons to me for safekeeping and to inform you that you should establish contact with the supreme command. You are required to carry out this order immediately.
If you do not agree to carry out this order, I shall use all the means at my disposal in order to implement the order and to requisition the weapons which have reached shore and transfer them from private possession into the possession of the Israel government.
I wish to inform you that the entire area is surrounded by fully armed military units and armored cars, and all roads are blocked.
I hold you fully responsible for any consequences in the event of your refusal to carry out this order.
The immigrants - unarmed - will be permitted to travel to the camps in accordance with your arrangements. You have ten minutes to give me your answer.

D.E.,Brigade Commander

 

[RickD]

Eating their own young

It amazes me the politics which are played.

Here a group of fighters are ready to help the cause, and just like many RKBA activists, those in power poop in the water.

Rick

 

[carebear]

The rather monolithic view we have of Israeli independence is, like our own Revolutionary history, oversimplified. A book I enjoyed called "The Sword and the Olive" gives the dirty details of the evolution of the IDF and the infighting between the Haganah and the Irgun, as well as the several other independant militia organizations.

Like you say Rick, no matter how dedicated to any cause you are, to someone else you might as well be a collaborator.

The later chapters do a good job dispelling the myth of hyper-competence the IDF, like the German Army, possesses. They're good, but they and their leaders weren't supermen and their political situation blew and blows.

The other thing the book brings to light is just how few weapons were available to the Jews in '47. I have more guns and ammunition within arms reach right now than some entire CITIES militias. Anytime you list pistol ammo by the "each", you are not in a logistic wonderland.

 

[MicroBalrog]

Rick: Also note the tactics and excuses used. Remind you of anything?

 

[RickD]

Unfortunately, it reminds me of far too many things, currently in the mid-east, Europe then and now, and here in the US over that last few years...

It's like a fungus.

Rick

 

[MicroBalrog]

Ben Gurion killed innocent people to establish a government monopoly on arms.

Tenche Coxe fought against professional soldiers to make sure there is no such monopoly.