Arresting the Religious Platoon Members in Birya
On February 28th, the British surrounded Birya and after extensive searches, found the two cashes with arms and Hagana documents. The British decided to arrest all twenty-four settlement members.
On the night of February 5th to the 6th 1946, a force from the religious platoon participated as an auxiliary force in the blockage, during the failed attempt to free the eleven Palmach members who were arrested by the Har Kena'an police.
This operation increased the British alertness; therefore, a few weeks later, they tracked down a patrol detachment from the Birya platoon that left for its standard intelligence patrol in the Arab Legion camp near Har Kena'an. The next day at dawn (February 28th), the British surrounded Birya and after extensive searches, found the two cashes with arms and Hagana documents. The British decided to arrest all twenty-four settlement members.
The detainees were led to the Har Kena'an police and were replaced by Jewish guards in Birya. On March 5th, the British removed the Jewish watch guards and gathered the work tools and personal belongings of the religious platoon in two rooms. Three members from the religious platoon were brought there from the detention house and were asked to sign a declaration stating that they found their belongings in one piece. All three refused to sign, so as not to give formal consent to their dislocation from Birya.
On March 8th, the religious platoon members were transferred to the Acre jail. On May 9th, by order from Inspector Bruce, the British tried to take their fingerprints as part of the investigation procedure. The Birya men refused, claiming they were not criminals, and the British applied physical pressure to try and force them into it. The religious platoon members passed information about this incident to the Hagana and declared a hunger strike. The strike ended after five days by request from Rabbi Kaniel, the Chief Rabbi of Haifa. Officer Bruce paid with his life for this incident.
The Birya platoon members faced a military trial on May 30th 1946, accused of illegal possession of arms. The detainees unanimously pleaded guilty. Yehuda Bloom was their court spokesman. He claimed that the weapons were intended to defend their fundamental right to exist and guard their lives in Israel. When the trial ended, twenty of the Birya members were sentenced to four years in prison, two of them to two years and two to one year – considering their young age. On December 1946, the Birya members were transferred to the Jerusalem Prison. While in prison, they were involved in two fights with Arab prisoners, which ended with no serious injuries.
Eventually, the Birya members served 15 months out of their sentenced prison time. Their release in June of 1947 followed a parole announced by the British Empire on occasion of Queen Elizabeth's birthday, and the appeals made by large circles in the Jewish community. After their release, the religious platoon members joined the Palmach reserve.
This operation increased the British alertness; therefore, a few weeks later, they tracked down a patrol detachment from the Birya platoon that left for its standard intelligence patrol in the Arab Legion camp near Har Kena'an. The next day at dawn (February 28th), the British surrounded Birya and after extensive searches, found the two cashes with arms and Hagana documents. The British decided to arrest all twenty-four settlement members.
The detainees were led to the Har Kena'an police and were replaced by Jewish guards in Birya. On March 5th, the British removed the Jewish watch guards and gathered the work tools and personal belongings of the religious platoon in two rooms. Three members from the religious platoon were brought there from the detention house and were asked to sign a declaration stating that they found their belongings in one piece. All three refused to sign, so as not to give formal consent to their dislocation from Birya.
On March 8th, the religious platoon members were transferred to the Acre jail. On May 9th, by order from Inspector Bruce, the British tried to take their fingerprints as part of the investigation procedure. The Birya men refused, claiming they were not criminals, and the British applied physical pressure to try and force them into it. The religious platoon members passed information about this incident to the Hagana and declared a hunger strike. The strike ended after five days by request from Rabbi Kaniel, the Chief Rabbi of Haifa. Officer Bruce paid with his life for this incident.
The Birya platoon members faced a military trial on May 30th 1946, accused of illegal possession of arms. The detainees unanimously pleaded guilty. Yehuda Bloom was their court spokesman. He claimed that the weapons were intended to defend their fundamental right to exist and guard their lives in Israel. When the trial ended, twenty of the Birya members were sentenced to four years in prison, two of them to two years and two to one year – considering their young age. On December 1946, the Birya members were transferred to the Jerusalem Prison. While in prison, they were involved in two fights with Arab prisoners, which ended with no serious injuries.
Eventually, the Birya members served 15 months out of their sentenced prison time. Their release in June of 1947 followed a parole announced by the British Empire on occasion of Queen Elizabeth's birthday, and the appeals made by large circles in the Jewish community. After their release, the religious platoon members joined the Palmach reserve.