As the Israeli naval flotilla which last week worked with American, British and Greek naval units in rescue and relief work among the many thousands of survivors of the disastrous earthquakes which struck the Ionian Islands off the Greek coast today left Greek waters, Israeli aid to the stricken Greek people entered a new phase.
The first transport of blankets desperately needed by victims of the tremors, many of whom are injured and some of whom barely escaped from homes which were wrecked, was today flown from Israel to Athens. The shipment was prepared by the Israeli Red Mogen Dovid.
The shipment was addressed to Archbishop Spyridom, chairman of the Greek relief committee for the victims. It was the Archbishop who during the Nazi occupation issued a declaration calling on all Greeks to aid the Jews. For this he was jailed by the Germans.
Greek King Paul and Queen Frederika today thanked the commander of the Israeli flotilla for the assistance given by his men. During the operations the Israeli commander was a member of the relief command which consisted of a Greek general and the commanders of the American, British and Israeli rescue units on the scene. When the Israeli units, which had served chiefly in transporting the wounded and survivors from the islands to the mainland, sailed for Haifa an American band played Hatikrah in their honor.
The Greek Minister to Israel, H. Moscolpulus, today publicly thanked the Red Mogen David for its organization of a relief program in Israel in behalf of the Greeks. He spoke glowingly of the work of the Israeli Navy which, he pointed out, had been the first to offer its aid.
A military spokesman here revealed that when Israeli units–which were conducting exercises in the vicinity of the Greek islands when the quakes began–were ordered to aid in the rescue work they set up a shore headquarters on an island opposite Argostolion, a city which was almost completely wiped out during the five days of intermittent quakes. They also set up stations for the distribution of food and medicine as well as clothing, then concentrated on ferrying the injured to Piraeus, on the mainland.
On one trip an Israeli vessel carried 150 stretcher cases to the mainland. During the trips Israeli medical personnel attended the injured and in some cases Israeli doctors operated on emergency cases.
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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.
