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British Reported to Have Ordered Arrest of La Spezia Refugees

April 8, 1946
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The Palestine Government is determined to oppose with all its resources “illegal” immigration above the 1,500 monthly quota it has temporarily set, and, therefore, ordered the Italians to arrest the La Spezia refugees, it was reported here today. The Government is understood to be preparing centers on the Codecaness Islands for captured visaless immigrants.

David Ben Gurion, chief of the Jewish Agency, addressing a Labor Party conference in Haifa last night, said that Jewish immigration to Palestine would continue as long as the Zionist movement exists in Europe. He said that the La Spezia incident as the first time Britain had fought Zionism outside of Palestine. The secret “Voice of Israel” radio, also commenting on the arrests in Italy, warned today that “nothing will be allowed to halt Jewish immigration.”

The entire Jewish community is aroused by the reports from La Spezia, as well as reports concerning pogroms in Hungary and unrest in the DP camps in Germany. Editorials in today’s papers declare that Palestine’s Jews will not tolerate continuation of a hostile policy towards the remnants of European Jewry whose only crime is at they wish to leave Europe.

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