The “Fighters for the Freedom of Israel,” more (##)larly known as the Stern Group, are opposed to the partition of Palestine and (##) vigorously fight any such decision even if approved by the U.N. the alleged (##)uty commander of the Sternists, who gave his name only as “Mr. Hillel,” told a (##)ss conference here today.
In a mass interview, which had all the trappings of a spy melodrama, the sternist spokesman said that “we fight for Jewish independence in Western and Eastern Palestine, Transjordan included.” He added that “there can be no true independence if (##)tish military bases are in or around the country. Britain aims at harnessing Jews manpower and resources for war on behalf of British imperial interests,” he (##)ged.
The more than a dozen reporters who attended the conference were summoned by (##)egram to the apartment in Essex House of Rabbi Baruch Korff, co-chairman of the (##)itical Action Committee for Palestine. When all the newspapermen had assembled (##) were led to a two-room suite on the twentieth floor of the nearby Hotel St. (##)itz. While the reporters sat in one room, asking questions, Mr. Hillel, who could (##) be seen, sat in the other room and called his replies through the open door. At the time did he make an appearance. He was introduced by Rabbi Korff, who emphasized (##) he was acting in a personal capacity, and not as chairman of the Political Action committee.
Rabbi Korff and an unidentified “security officer” stationed themselves at (##) threshold between the two rooms and transmitted the questions. Rabbi Korff said (##) procedure was dictated by security reasons “since there are many British spies (##) this country.” Mr. Hillel, who speaks English fluently, but with a decided for(##) accent, refused to disclose his identity, admitting only that he was a British project and in British Government employ. Rabbi Korff said that the British had (##)ced a price on his head.
He said that he had come to the United States to create here a Committee of (##)ends of the Stern Group and to raise a fund of $10,000,000 before Jan. 1948. This (##)ey would not be used for military operations, but only to help wounded Sternists, (##)ir families, and for similar purposes, he declared.
Mr. Hillel also told questioners that there was no war between the Haganah (##) the Stern Group and expressed the belief that the Haganah was coming out against the Palestine underground only in order to spare the Jewish Agency from British repri(##) He minimized the resulting tension and denied that the Haganah was cooperating (##)th the British.
He dissociated himself and his group from the Hebrew Committee of Liberation, (##) claring that they also differed from this group in “ideology.” On the other hand, (##) admitted that the Stern Group cooperated with the Irgun Zvai Leumi in their operations in Palestine.
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.
