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Issue from a rare journal with collected short pieces from a Revisionist-Zionist perspective. Ha-Loham was published from 1942 through 1944 and again briefly in 1948. The cover of this issue, in green, has on it a a flag with a depiction of Israel on both sides of the Jordan River – after the establishment of the state of Israel they would characteristically refer to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as “the so-called Hashemite Kingdom” – with a rifle across it and the phrase moledet ve-herut, referring to the political movement that advocated Jewish control of both sides of the river. The ideology of the journal reflects that of the Irgun Ẓeva'i Le'ummi as expressed by Ze'ev Jabotinsky, who is a contributor. Among the pieces is one on the Altalena which is written as a dirge.
During the War if Independence an IẒL ship, the Altalena, clandestinely reached the shores of Israel on June 20, during the first Arab-Israel cease fire. It carried a huge quantity of weapons and ammunition and about eight hundred young people, some of whom had received military training. During negotiations with the newly established provisional government of Israel, IẒL demanded 20% of the arms for the use of its units in Jerusalem. IẒL rejected a government ultimatum to hand over the ship, and when it appeared off the shore of Tel Aviv it was blown up by Israel artillery. The ship was set on fire just off the Tel Aviv beach by IDF troops, who then waded into the water to rescue IẒL personnel. There were casualties on both sides The Jerusalem units of IẒL fought in most sectors of the city and joined the national army on Sept. 21, 1948, on the orders of the provisional government. Among those aboard the Altalena was Menahem Begin.
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