User:SlimVirgin/Irgun

"Only Thus" [Hebrew: "Rak Kach", around logo of an arm holding a gun over what appears to be a map of a "full-biblical" Israel, including all territory from the Mediterranean to the Jordan river, and possibly Transjordan too. This motto has also been used by the modern ultra-right wing Rabbi Kahanah's Jewish terror group]

"Notice"

Regarding the misstatement [Hebrew: "hoda'at siluf", also possible: fallacious, distorted, misleading, deceptive statement?] of the conquest of Dir Yassin by the "Haganah" commander in Jerusalem, and in light of the incitement carried out by the hypocrites, we hereby declare:

a. The village of Dir Yassin was a marauders nest [Hebrew: ken por'im, also possible "hooligans"; the Hebrew word por'im has the same root as the word for Pogrom and for those carrying out a Pogrom, connoting the killing of innocent Jews] in effect and in force.

b. From this village attacks were carried out against Jerusalem's western neighborhoods.

"Davar" from April 4, this year, reported sniper attacks from Dir Yassin on Ein Kerem and Bait Vagan. Were it not for our conquest, there would have been a constant danger to the Hebrew [Jewish] neighborhoods from the gangs which had based and fortified theselves in Dir Yassin.

c. In order to remove the danger from this area it was essential to conquer Dir Yassin.

It is a military necessity [Hebrew: "tsav", perhaps also "imperative"?] and an efficient defensive necessity [same] to protect the lives of the attacked population, and the only way to liberate Jerusalem from the siege. Note that even the Jerusalem District "Haganah" commander who is personally responsible for the defamation carried out against us relating to this conquest action -- he too understood its strategic value and even pointed out the need of this action in a letter sent to us on 7.4.1948 [April 7, 1948] (this letter will be published specially)

d. Dir Yassin was conquered in intense battles. From almost every house our soldiers were fired upon with rifles and machine guns. As evidence is the relatively large number of our own casualties, more than several tens, the large number of weapons we captured, as well as the number of Iraqi and Syrian killed, which are part of the regular army which was based at that location.

e. Our soldiers who embarked on a difficult and dangerous confrontation, when the advantage in firing positions and fortification belonged to the enemy, behaved like no other fighting army: our soldiers gave up the element of surprise, and before the start of the actual battle they warned the villagers with a loudspeaker and called on all women and children to immediately leave the place and find shelter on the mountain's slope. And in fact, most women and children were saved because of this warning, and moved to a safe shelter: some of those who remained, who did not heed the warning, were hit during the house battles. About 150 women and children were arrested and taken that same day to safety area C. It is a lie that "Haganah" men transferred them to that location.

We express our deep sorrow that among the casualties were women and children, but our fighters are not to blame. They acted above and beyond their humane duty.

And to those who are inciting against us and impugning our morals, we remind: when the "Haganah" attacked the village of Tobias in the upper Galilee, where only women and children were killed, no advance warning was given of any kind. We should also remind the hypocrites their attacks on Pardes [orange grove] Abu Leben [or laban?], at the Samiramis hotel, in Wadi Joz, etc.

f. There is no need to argue with the "Haganah" spokesmen, who claim that the Dir Yassin conquest had no military value: Dir Yassin has a top strategic value for the defense of the western neighborhoods, because it dominates (topographically) all the valleys which could serve as excellent passage for attacking gangs. Also on the Jerusalem-Tel-Aviv road kilometers 4-6, which have been blocked more than once, preventing from reinforcement of Motsah and Kastel. Dir Yassin also serves as a base for attacks on the Arab villages which provide staging areas to gangs during recent battles in the region.

The brilliant Haganah strategist is apparently willing to wait until Qawuqji's mortars and artillery will stand in the heart of Jerusalem. Blindness and envy are behind the assumption of the hypocritical District Commander. And regarding the honor of the Hebrew weapons [purity of arms? this is not the modern Hebrew expression for Purity of Arms, which is literally purity of weapons, not "honor" of weapons, but possibly this was a more archaic expression at the time] the "Haganah" spokesmen would do well to maintain this honor in the convoy to Kfar Etzion, the Yotsek factory, the Haganah positions in Mea Shearim, etc.

Irgun Zva'i Le'umi (National Military Organization)

Nissan [ca. April], 1948