Illegal Immigration ('Haapala') - Cyprus
From August 1946 to April 1948, over 51,000 immigrants who tried to immigrant to Israel by sea were deported to detention camps in Cyprus. The detention camps ran until February 10th, 1949. Over time, the British released small immigrant groups, who were allowed to immigrate to Israel according to the monthly quota of immigration certificates allotted.
The Haapala had a crucial role in the battle of the Yishuv and the Zionist movement against the British policy, which ultimately led to the establishment of the state. The party in charge of the Haapala effort on behalf of the Jewish Agency was the 'Hamossad for Aliyah Bet', headed by Shaul Meirov (Avigur.) About 75,000 immigrants tried to enter the country during the Haapala period. Only about 10,000 of them succeeded in illegally entering the country. The rest were caught and detained by the British, and were gradually released as part of the monthly quota of immigration certificates allotted by the British. From August 1946 to April 1948, over 51,000 immigrants who tried to immigrant to Israel by sea were deported to detention camps in Cyprus. The detention camps ran until February 10th, 1949. Over time, the British released small immigrant groups, who were allowed to immigrate to Israel according to the monthly quota of immigration certificates allotted.
Palyam member, Arieh (Kipi) Kaplan, was chosen by his comrades as the first commander of the immigrant camps on Cyprus. There, he founded a defense unit from among the immigrants, who intended to enlist in the Palmach. The unit was designed to deal with internal security needs, which helped Palmach members to keep control over the camp.
The tunnel digging operation in the detention camps in Cyprus as a means of smuggling immigrants from the island, took place from the summer of 1947 to early 1949. 7 tunnels were dug out during the operation. The British exposed two of them in that time period. Security wise, that was the most dangerous, complex and secretive operation of the 'Defenders' Convoys,' headed by the Palmach envoys.
For a long period after the detention camps in were established (August 1946), neither the Hagana nor the Palmach HQ had initiated such an organized, methodical activity among the immigrants. Only in March 1947, following the direct encounter between tens of Palmach members and the immigrants from the "Shabtay Luzinsky" ship, the Hagana HQ changed its approach to the subject.
Yisrael Galili, Chief of the national Hagana HQ from the summer of 1947, offered Palmach Commander, Yigal Alon, to assign the responsibility over the immigrant camps to his men.
In the spring of 1947, the Palmach HQ decided to send a special envoy to the detention camps in Cyprus, which would assume direct commandership over the 'Defenders Line.' Since that time, the Palmach had engaged in all the activities relating to the immigrant camps – leadership, weapon training, smuggling, care-taking, instruction and commandership.
Palyam member, Arieh (Kipi) Kaplan, was chosen by his comrades as the first commander of the immigrant camps on Cyprus. There, he founded a defense unit from among the immigrants, who intended to enlist in the Palmach. The unit was designed to deal with internal security needs, which helped Palmach members to keep control over the camp.
The tunnel digging operation in the detention camps in Cyprus as a means of smuggling immigrants from the island, took place from the summer of 1947 to early 1949. 7 tunnels were dug out during the operation. The British exposed two of them in that time period. Security wise, that was the most dangerous, complex and secretive operation of the 'Defenders' Convoys,' headed by the Palmach envoys.
For a long period after the detention camps in were established (August 1946), neither the Hagana nor the Palmach HQ had initiated such an organized, methodical activity among the immigrants. Only in March 1947, following the direct encounter between tens of Palmach members and the immigrants from the "Shabtay Luzinsky" ship, the Hagana HQ changed its approach to the subject.
Yisrael Galili, Chief of the national Hagana HQ from the summer of 1947, offered Palmach Commander, Yigal Alon, to assign the responsibility over the immigrant camps to his men.
In the spring of 1947, the Palmach HQ decided to send a special envoy to the detention camps in Cyprus, which would assume direct commandership over the 'Defenders Line.' Since that time, the Palmach had engaged in all the activities relating to the immigrant camps – leadership, weapon training, smuggling, care-taking, instruction and commandership.