{"id":15624,"date":"2017-02-20T12:47:07","date_gmt":"2017-02-20T10:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.zionism.co.il\/?page_id=15624\/"},"modified":"2018-02-19T22:11:56","modified_gmt":"2018-02-19T20:11:56","slug":"the-illegal-immigration","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.zionism.co.il\/en\/quiz-topics\/the-illegal-immigration\/","title":{"rendered":"The Illegal Immigration"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A little background <\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>
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The British conquered the Land of Israel from the Ottomans in 1917 during World War I and held it until 1948. Starting in the 1920s, their rule received international recognition. The League of Nations proclaimed that the British Mandate would rule the Land of Israel, while adopting the Balfour Declaration which proclaimed that a national homeland for the Jews would be established in the Land of Israel and that the Mandate would help the Jews and Jewish settlement. On the other hand, it also stated that the rights and status of other groups would be guaranteed. The tension between these two directions accompanied the British throughout their rule. Limiting the number of Jewish immigrants entering the Land of Israel and closing the gates to thousands of refugees seeking a safe haven was meant to maintain good relations with the Arabs since the strengthening of the Jewish population was one of the major factors causing Arab unrest.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The Illegal Immigration <\/h1>\n

If the Gate is Closed, it Can’t be Opened (1934-1947)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
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Ha’afala is the name given to the illegal immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel during the period of the British Mandate. Every year the British Mandate government would set a quota for aliyah certificates given to the Jews. There were very few certificates relative to the number of Jews wishing to come to the Land of Israel. Moreover, there was a clear preference to rich people or to people who could support themselves. However, after Hitler’s rise to power, the situation of the Jews in Europe worsened drastically and large numbers of Jews, not only the wealthy, wanted to immigrate to the Land of Israel. It was decided to circumvent the British quota and to bring Jews to the Land of Israel without certificates.
\nA variety of means were found: some of the people entered into fictitious marriages with people living in the Land of Israel, others registered for studies at universities in the Yishuv, though they never showed up for classes, but most of them came in illegally over land or by sea. <\/p>\n

\"lanizahon\"<\/p>\n

A Clandestine Ship Flounders\u2026<\/h3>\n

The Mossad le-Aliyah Bet and the Pal-Yam, the branch of the Palmach which focused on illegal immigration, the Haganah and the Etzel started the operation in Europe. There they organized groups of illegal immigrants. They took care of them before the voyage (a place to sleep, food, water) and during the voyage. They found the ships and the crew that would agree to endanger themselves, or alternatively, they acquired ships, hired crews, and of course, everything cost a lot of money, which had to be found quickly.
\nMost of the countries from which the ships sailed left them alone. The challenge was in reaching the Land of Israel in small cargo boats, old and broken-down, and to escape the watchful eyes of the British destroyers in the middle of the sea and the British soldiers awaiting them on the shore. Every boat was equipped with a means of communication which would signal their arrival to the Mossad le-Aliyah Bet, the Pal-Yam or the underground organizations that organized the passage and were waiting for the boat to anchor near the coast. Under the cover of darkness, the volunteers helped the men, women and children off the boasts and then took them to nearby settlements. The newcomers quickly changed their clothes and then mixed in with the old-timers. There was nothing the British could do, but to return empty-handed. The people who lived near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea played an active part in the operations. Kibbutz Yagur and Kibbutz Nitzanim were famous for the role they played.\n<\/p>\n

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A Clandestine Ship Flounders\u2026<\/h3>\n

\nstories from the illegal immigration<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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