Four Jews were seriously wounded today when a British soldier discharged his submachine gun into a group of bus passengers who were routed from the vehicle and lined up for questioning in the center of the city.
The soldier, who was one of the members of a mobile patrol, claimed he had fired the gun “accidentally.” The wounded are: Jacob Zlochovi, 47; Yogl Malin, 21; Mordechai Fissak, 25; and his wife, Ahouva, 22.
Following the discovery in Tel Aviv this morning of the body of Israel Levin, 25, the Stern Group sent a letter to the Hebrew press explaining that he had been executed Saturday night after his conviction by an underground court of being a “provocateur, traitor and blackmailer.” The letter added that Levin had pleaded guilty and had signed a confession.
The confession allegedly told of his having met with high ranking British police officers and that he and several other Jews had agreed to act as spies for the British in the underground movement for a regular wage and special bonuses for information leading to the arrest of underground leaders. In his confession, Levin is said to have declared that he had been promised $4,000 for aiding in the capture of the Sternist commander. Besides obtaining information to help the British capture Sternist and Irgun leaders, Levin promised to furnish the police with information concerning the expected arrival of visaless immigrants, the ports from which they would sail and their approximate timetable.
The Sternist statement declared that Levin was due to leave for Italy shortly to aid British intelligence in disrupting visaless immigration activities there. He also told of having extorted money from wealthy Jews in the name of the underground movement, the statement charged.
The letter explaining Levin’s “execution” was motivated by two factors, the Stern Group said: Firstly, to prove to the public that the underground court had condemned Levin only after carefully checking the evidence, including his confession; and secondly, to warn “traitors” that their crimes are known and that they will not escape.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
