The Jewish Defense League said last night that it planed to attack Arab diplomats and missions in Europe and the United States but was prevented from doing so by the intervention of Israeli security forces. The disclosure was made by JDL secretary Yosef Schneider at a press conference here after a JDL member, Abraham Hershkovitz, was arrested yesterday for attempting to smuggle arms and ammunition out of the country.
A police spokesman said that Hershkovitz, 28, attempted to leave the country with two sub-machineguns, two pistols, three hand grenades and a quantity of ammunition. He has been remanded in custody. Schneider claimed that Hershkovitz was unaware of the contents of the crate he was “ordered to take to the US.”
The JDL secretary admitted that the arms were intended for attacks on Arab missions in the US and Europe and said they were “contributed by good Jews.” Rabbi Meir Kahane, leader of the JDL, said of Hershkovitz today, “He only wanted to act on behalf of his people and for this he is in jail.”
Schneider said the JDL planned to send a team to Europe to capture Arabs to be held hostage for the release of Israeli prisoners and Syrian Jews. But the Israeli security services learned of the plan and warned the JDL that no members of the kidnap teams would be allowed to leave the country, Schneider said. He added that it was then that the plan evolved to smuggle arms out of the country.
Longshoremen went on strike in Haifa port today refusing to unload 14 ships which may have to be diverted to Ashdod. The strikers said new work rules may reduce their income. The Haifa Labor Council, which opposed the strike, said the new rules will lead to greater efficiency and would not undermine the present wage system.
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.
