Notes of an Interview with Mr Wilensky

  • Reference
    • GB 133 HOW/28
  • Dates of Creation
    • 4 Apr 1950
  • Physical Description
    • 9 sheets

Scope and Content

Interview with Emmanuel Wilensky [Jewish Agency official, who established its Arab department]. Wilensky describes the clashes at Tel Aviv and Jaffa in 1921. He joined joined Haganah on 2 May 1921 and operated in Tel Aviv, but also saw action in Haifa in 1929, where some Jews were arrested for carrying arms. Says not all the British were against them, but higher authorities did not want the Jews to be armed.

Wilensky says he headed intelligence section of the Jewish Agency's Political department in Haifa and northern Palestine, and did liaison work with Wingate. Haim Sturmann (Ein Harod leader) was sceptical about Wingate, but changed his opinion. Wingate not always well informed about current affairs, but consistently against appeasement.

Explains how Soukenik (poss Yigael Yadin, later a senior Israeli soldier and politician, whose birth name was Soukenik) joined SNS after Haim Levkov had shot an Arab who had attacked Soukenik. Attack at Khirbet Lid. where they took on an Arab gang who had attacked the pipeline. This was a turning point in protecting the pipeline.