Ha'apala (Illegal Immigration) from Italy, 1945-1948 [including material from the Haganah Archive]

Opening of the Haganah's Second European Assembly: opening remarks of chairman; names of participants; various topics discussed in Assembly; 'Jewish defense in Europe and its problems'; centres of Haganah activity in Palestine, Europe and with the 'surviving remnants', 1946; characteristics of communist countries; possibility for Jewish continuity in communist countries; fate of Jews in German and Austrian, Western European, Italian and North African camps; Haganah's position on the Diaspora; achievements in schools, leadership and administration; PR problems amongst European Jewry; challenges surrounding preparation for establishment of State; preparing for consolidation into one united group; need for establishing clear status for Haganah; need for considering Haganah in Europe as inseparable from Haganah in Palestine; problem of lack of coordination within different areas of Europe; shortage of forces in Palestine; shortage of emissaries; establishing productive ties between Palestinian and European administration; Haganah in England and English Jewish community; problem of training officers in high ranking schools. Haapala: what has been done and aims for this issue; motives for immigration, 33-34 and its ties to Haganah; activity of illegal ships from Europe and North Africa; countries of departure; difficulty in bringing in Jews from Eastern Europe; British fight against immigration; the need to oppose the British; role of 'Haapalah' in helping 'Bricha'. Bricha: ; activities as of 1945; flight from Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary, Germany. Political status, and the three major players: Britain, Russia and a completely independent Israel. Britian: role in deciding between Jewish and Arab autonomy. Need for two separate autonomous states and a completely independent Israel; American position; his own conclusions on issue. Discusses: number and state of Jews living in DP camps in Germany, Austria; role and involvement of Haganah and 'Bricha' in helping Jews in DP camps educational activities in schools, training, studies, PR, publications; cooperation between Haganah and Bricha; Jewish demographic situation in Hungary; political situation in Hungary, 1945; Haganah work in Hungary; situation in Czech Republic and Slovakia; Zionist movements; future plans; situation in Romania as example of country occupied by Russians; situation of Jews there; work done by emissaries from Palestine in summer camps and 'hachshara'; technical problems; missions; organizing and executing Aliya, security, education. Report on Swiss Jewry: state of Zionist movement in Switzerland; Jewish students' organization, and difficulty in establishing ties with them; Swiss Jewry's treatment of 'shaarit haplita'. Report on French and North African Jewry: political situation; action taken in fields of science, planning, leadership and administration; recruiting people to help with Bricha; heading camps; ties to Jewish organizations and Zionist parties; ; character and state of Zionist youth movements; public relations. Questions regarding the general participants; communication problems; establishing public venue; investigating propriety of team members in European countries; financial situation. Summary of things said. Summary of assembly. Announcements. Instructions for self-defense in case of attacks against Jews in Europe. Decision to meet in October 1947.