FROM OUR ARCHIVES
65 YEARS AGO On January 12, 1947, The Palestine Post reported that the Palestine High Commissioner, Sir Alan Cunningham, was expected to return from London to Jerusalem with more power over all Palestinian and British military and civil authorities in order to fight terror. It was assumed that London accepted all Cunningham’s recommendations for a political solution in Palestine and his plan to enlist the majority of the Jewish population against the known terrorist leaders.
The Post’s correspondent in Cyprus, Shahe Guebenlian, reported from Nicosia that conditions in the Caraolos Camp, which he was allowed to visit after the recent rain, were simply terrible. The second camp to which these refugees were expected to be transferred was to be ready only eight days later, and no reason was given for the delay.
Ira Hirshman, a special investigator for UNRRA, expressed fear that the Jewish population of Austria would be slaughtered when the Allied occupation forces were withdrawn. He said that the Nazi elements in Austria were still active and their spirit and purpose had not changed.
Eighteen persons were detained by British soldiers and police after extensive searches in Petah Tikva.
50 YEARS AGO
On January 12, 1962, The Jerusalem Post reported that Danish prime minister Viggo Kampmann, standing beside prime minister David Ben-gurion, unveiled a plaque at Jerusalem’s Beit Hakerem Square, bearing from now on his country’s name: “Denmark Square.” Kampmann said that “the name of Jerusalem is imprinted from childhood in the hearts of every Dane. We are grateful that the name of Denmark is now implanted in the heart of Jerusalem.”
The evacuation of eastern Algeria by French forces had already begun and at the same time a Jewish exodus from the area was already under way.
In Cologne, the illustrated weekly Revue started publication of the purported “memoirs” of the Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann, reportedly written by him in Ramle prison. The first installment was titled: “Tomorrow I shall be in hell.” But Eichmann’s counsel, Dr. Robert Servatius, told the Post correspondent: “I don’t know of and did not authorize any such publication.”
25 YEARS AGO
On January 12, 1987, The Jerusalem Post reported that the economic inner committee decided on a NIS 300m. package of cuts in the state budget. It was expected that there would be higher fees for education and subsidized goods. There would also be a possible introduction of user charges for health services.
Both prime minister Yitzhak Shamir and vice-premier Shimon Peres intervened in the Bank Leumi crisis to prevent the resignation of its chairman, Eli Hurwitz, and other board members. The Bank of Israel was ready to prevent a crisis in the management of Bank Leumi.
The former managing director of Bank Mizrachi, Aharon Meir, and two other senior Bank Mizrachi officials were charged with embezzlement, fraud and breach of trust in connection with illegal transactions carried out in 1983 with the banks’ “regulated” shares.
Alexander Zvielli