Leon Uris by Exodus

Author:Exodus
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Literary, Fiction, Holocaust, History
ISBN: 9781453225738
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2011-09-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

KIBBUTZ BETH ALONIM STOOD at the foot of Mount Tabor in the center of the Jezreel Valley. Ari was given a commission in the British Army and placed in charge of operations of the guerrilla units of boys and girls, most of whom were in their teens. Most of the officers were “old-timers” in their mid-twenties like Ari.

Many of the former Raider Unit men joined the Palmach to indoctrinate the youngsters in the methods of Major P. P. Malcolm.

The troops wore no uniforms nor was there rank below the officers, and boys and girls were treated exactly the same. They were trained with the same sense of Biblical destiny that Malcolm had given his fighters.

Two of the soldiers showed such promise and leadership that they were advanced to lead units directly under Ari. One was a heavy-set kibbutznik from the Galilee. His name was Zev Gilboa. He wore a big black mustache which later became the badge of a male Palmachnik. The other was a small intense young student from Jerusalem named David Ben Ami. Neither David nor Zev was yet twenty.

One day they were paid a visit by General Haven-Hurst. He was a tall thin blond man in his early fifties. As he inspected the camp he was aware of the coldness which greeted his presence. After the inspection, Haven-Hurst asked Ari to report to the camp’s headquarters.

As Ari entered the office, the two men nodded stiffly, neither concealing his dislike for the other.

“Sit down, Lieutenant Ben Canaan,” Haven-Hurst said. “You are to be commended on your work here with these Palmach troops.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Matter of fact, I’ve been studying your record ... or your case history, if you will. You’ve been a busy chap.”

“The conditions of my environment and the unfortunate circumstances of my birth have dictated it,” Ari said. “I am a farmer at heart.”

Haven-Hurst took the rebuff without showing it.

“My main purpose for coming to Beth Alonim today was to ask you to volunteer for a special assignment. I know that when you enlisted it was on the proviso that you could train Palmach troops, but we feel this is urgent enough to alter that.”

“I am a soldier in the British Army, General Haven-Hurst. I will accept any assignment given me.”

“Good. Briefly, here is what it consists of. There has been a large German build-up in Syria. We feel they may attempt an invasion of Palestine this spring.”

Ari nodded.

“We are not at war with the Vichy French and we cannot invade Syria, but we do have sufficient Free French forces to do the job, provided we get flawless intelligence. We have selected you for this job because you know Syria and Lebanon from your Ha Mishmar days, and also because of your mastery of Arabic. We want you to reassemble those lads who were at Ha Mishmar with you and return there to use it as a reconnoitering base. When the invasion begins there will also be special assignments. There will be a captain’s rank in this for you.

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