Al Misri 27 Dec. 1945

Haifa, December 26th, (Reuter) – The Jewish Defense Organization "Hagana" has struck again, writes Jon Kimche, Reuter's special correspondent.

"Operation Bethlehem" to bring in a large sailing vessel with 250 immigrants without certificates was concluded in the early hours this morning with the dispersal of the landed immigrants from the Nahariya Beachhead, 20 miles North of Haifa.
The vessel foundered when approaching the shore soon after dark last night and was discovered this morning lying on its side on the sandy shore at the Jewish Holiday Colony of Nahariya. The only sigh of last night's operation were a number of United States aircraft "Mae Wests" and a blue-white banner with the newly-printed inscription "This Boat – 'Hannah Senes' has disembarked immigrants here with the help of the Jewish Resistance Movement.

"May this boat remain as a memorial to the six million brothers and sisters who died in Europe and a token of our accusation against the British Government".
The vessel had been at sea for two weeks and was spotted by a British plane on Christmas Eve, but slipped away again and escaped. The landing was carried out within a quarter of a mile of the camp of a unit of the Arab Legion and appears to have not met any official interference.

I was called soon after midnight this morning by the public relations office of the Hagana and told that "Operation Bethlehem" was being carried out. A car called for and took me out of the city as soon as the curfew was lifted at 5.30 in the morning. All approaches to the landing area were still guarded by Hagana officials. Apparently, the boat had been shadowed by a British aeroplane and escaped during a storm on Christmas Eve. As a result, the landing beach was changed at the last minute and there were no small boats ready to take off the immigrants. The boat therefore came close in shore and foundered. Girls and Women on the boat cried as there appeared no chance to be taken ashore in view of he stormy waters. Hagana stevedores then constructed a repe-bridge and the last passenger landed soon after midnight.

"In the distance, the sweeping searchlights of British destroyers were visible but did not approach close."
"The sea was rough and the immigrants were soaked to the skin but there were 250 complete sets of clothing ready for them. Almost all were boys and girls between 15 and 35. Some had been on the way for nine months from Poland and Eastern Europe. One gird had been in the Qwiccin and Mawthaussen concentration camps and a group of boys had come from Dachau."

"Today, all these newcomers have already been absorbed in settlements and elsewhere in Palestine and Hagana officials declare that they will now intensify their efforts and rapidly increase the number of immigrants to Palestine."