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Ship Carrying 500 Jews to Israel is Towed to Crete; Forbidden to Land on Greek Soil

December 31, 1948
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The Greek Government today issued an order strictly prohibiting the landing on Greek soil of any of the passengers on the S.S. Tampa, which was towed into Seuda Bay in Crete earlier by the Dutch salvage vessel, the S.S. Uruguay, after it had floundered helplessly at sea for two days when it lost its rudder. The Tampa, a Panamanian ship, is bound for Israel with 500 refugee passengers.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has asked the Jewish Agency office in Athens to report to it on the condition of the DP immigrants. The Foreign Ministry said it would send a vessel to Crete to transport the Jews to Israel on the last lap of their journey.

All the Jewish passengers killed in the crash in Greece of a Czech plane which was carrying them from Prague to Israel–except the three members of the Kuperman family of Brazil–were buried yesterday in Kalamata in the Peloponnesus where there is neither a Jewish community nor a Jewish cemetery.

The bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Julius Kuperman and their baby were brought to Athens by a member of the family. A telegram was received from the Vienna Jewish Community requesting the transfer to Vienna of the three bodies of the Victor Band family.

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