The Italian authorities in Tripoli, thrown into panic by British victories in North Africa, have assigned large numbers of secret police, acting under the guidance of the German Gestapo, to harass and arrest Jews, Greeks and Arabs charged with espionage for Britain, it was reported here today.
Reprisals against Jews accused of pro-British activities were particularly severe, culminating in arrest of all members of the Tripoli Jewish Community board, it was said.
Meanwhile, a correspondent of the London Jewish Chronicle who recently had the opportunity of conversing with wounded Italian officers in Salonika, quoted them all as declaring that anti-Jewish laws in Italy had been introduced under German pressure, contrary to the desires of the Italian people.
The officers asserted 50 per cent of the Italians had never seen a Jews and did not understand Fascist talk of a “Jewish menace.” Others, especially those with Jewish friends, agreed with the Vatican that anti-Jewish discrimination was contrary to the principles of the Church.
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.
