Illegal Immigration from Italy and France, 1945-1948

Born Frankfurt, towards end of World War II. Discusses: personal story up until joining Aliya Bet; involvement in Haganah; being sent on mission to Egypt, 1944, and from there to Bari; being drafted to Aliya Bet; training he received for this work; moving from Italy to France; aims of his work in France; ties with French underground (1944-1945); forging certificates; ships that left from Marseilles; his activity in France; working with David Shaltieli, Leon Blum and others; contact with French defense, to avoid being caught; assistance received from French Jews; ship equipment; opinion of Aliya Gimmel; issue of armed Aliya; plan to execute Mufti; Father Glassberg's assistance to Aliya Bet. Discusses: his relationship with Shaul Avigur and his group; work done; cooperation with Abba Kovner's group 'Hanokmim'; problems with emissaries that came from Palestine to work in Europe during war; conflict between emissaries, problems with planning between them and head of Mossad working in France; difficulty in carrying out his work; being sent to US with aim of bringing first radio station to Germany, 1946; ties to Yitzhak Levy; being sent to US to raise funds for Mossad and to buy supplies no longer used by Canadian navy; change of identity upon return to France; people he worked with; atmosphere amongst Palestinian emissaries and difficulty understanding leadership in Palestine; dealing with refugees from Germany in France - how they got to border, getting them to Palestine; ; places where refugees stayed in France; human resources in Belgium; centre in Marseilles; British pressure regarding Aliya Bet (1946); open conflict with British; the French newspapers' approach to the 'Haapala'; contact with professional bodies in France and French intelligentsia; period was in France following Exodus and roles filled. Discusses: obtaining military supplies; ties to Sylvia Neulander from American Red Cross; her role in sending off 400 children and her role in illegal Aliya; problem of French orphans; French socialists' position on Israel and Zionism; illegal work of Ruth Aliav and frameworks in which she worked; attempts at organizing Bricha and Mossad; Yitzhak Grimboim; problem of obtaining authority in Mossad; clarification of Ruth Aliav's work for illegal Aliya, 1945; French-English relations following war; organization of French police; relations between Sneh and Ben Gurion; Aliya Gimmel; six month delay in leaving France (Aliya Bet, 1946).