Joseph Trumpeldor: Difference between revisions
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The Bolshevik government viewed the emergence of a national Jewish force with disdain and began to persecute HaḤalutz and Zionism, and only with great difficulty did it temporarily permit the existence of Jewish self-defense groups. In southern Russia, Trumpeldor found more understanding with the authorities of General Denikin, but there too there were numerous troubles of pogroms and opposition from the authorities to Jewish self-defense, although the military government did not have sufficient strength and will to protect the Jews, and Trumpeldor was more than once forced to personally intervene with the military government to save from death sentences the members of the Ḥalutz farm in the Ukraine and Crimea, who were accused of espionage and other offenses against the laws of the military regime. Meanwhile, he continued to organize groups and training camps in southern Russia, maintaining as many contacts as possible with his friends in northern Russia, In order to create organizational and practical connections for the fulfillment of his goals with his friends and institutions in Palestine, he left Yalta in Crimea for Istanbul in August 1919, in order to continue his journey to Palestine from there. | The Bolshevik government viewed the emergence of a national Jewish force with disdain and began to persecute HaḤalutz and Zionism, and only with great difficulty did it temporarily permit the existence of Jewish self-defense groups. In southern Russia, Trumpeldor found more understanding with the authorities of General Denikin, but there too there were numerous troubles of pogroms and opposition from the authorities to Jewish self-defense, although the military government did not have sufficient strength and will to protect the Jews, and Trumpeldor was more than once forced to personally intervene with the military government to save from death sentences the members of the Ḥalutz farm in the Ukraine and Crimea, who were accused of espionage and other offenses against the laws of the military regime. Meanwhile, he continued to organize groups and training camps in southern Russia, maintaining as many contacts as possible with his friends in northern Russia, In order to create organizational and practical connections for the fulfillment of his goals with his friends and institutions in Palestine, he left Yalta in Crimea for Istanbul in August 1919, in order to continue his journey to Palestine from there. | ||
In Istanbul, Trumpeldor received information about the true state of the land, both internally and externally. He saw the difficult situation of the pioneers who had left Russia before him and still did not have the opportunity or permits to immigrate to the land. In the meantime, while waiting, they were suffering from shortages and were expected to deteriorate due to the lack of sufficient understanding and preparation on the part of the people for proper assistance to their pioneers. He immediately threw himself into activities with representatives of the institutions to improve assistance to the pioneers and even organized them into cooperatives for work in agriculture and crafts. He arranged for a group of pioneers in the | In Istanbul, Trumpeldor received information about the true state of the land, both internally and externally. He saw the difficult situation of the pioneers who had left Russia before him and still did not have the opportunity or permits to immigrate to the land. In the meantime, while waiting, they were suffering from shortages and were expected to deteriorate due to the lack of sufficient understanding and preparation on the part of the people for proper assistance to their pioneers. He immediately threw himself into activities with representatives of the institutions to improve assistance to the pioneers and even organized them into cooperatives for work in agriculture and crafts. He arranged for a group of pioneers in the Mesila Ḥadasha settlement near the city, provided accurate information about the situation in Russia, completed the ideological education of the pioneers who had gathered there from Russia and Eastern European countries. In his letters to his friends in Russia he denied the exaggerated rumors that were spread there about a Jewish government in the Land of Israel, informed them of the restrictions and difficulties on the way to immigrate, and called on them to continue their physical and mental training and to be ready to immigrate when the road opened. | ||
In November 1919, he sailed by ship to Beirut and from there entered Israel by wagon via the northern border. In Israel, he found poverty and weakness of hand and a depressing division between the two main workers' parties ([[Aḥdut Ha‘avoda]] and [[Hapo‘el Hatza‘ir]]), each of which maintained special institutions and services (labor bureau, health insurance fund, etc.), fighting among themselves for "victory", and in the meantime, their people had no energy or desire left to prepare tools for absorbing the general pioneer immigration. Even in the institutions of the Zionist Organization, he did not find the willingness to help bring the pioneers already waiting in Istanbul, let alone to bring “general” pioneers, who were not yet defined by their affiliation with one of the two parties. His proposal to General Allenby's headquarters, to bring ten thousand Jewish soldiers from Russia to replace British soldiers in the garrison in Israel, was of course rejected. He made many efforts to unite the working class, at least with regard to institutions and services for the benefit of the worker and the pioneer, which had no affiliation with party principles. When he was unsuccessful in his talks with the leader of the working class (who were also the leaders of the parties), he appealed to the working class as a whole and explained the vital need for unification for the benefit of those already in the country, and even more so for the salvation and elevation of the brothers and comrades waiting in the Diaspora. At first, his efforts bore no fruit, but the seed of unification that he sowed in minds and hearts only grew after a year into the General Federation of Hebrew Workers, which established and developed the institutions and services for the entire working class and pioneer. Seeing that for the time being he had nothing more to do in the country, Trumpeldor said he would return to Russia and continue his activities there in HaḤalutz. | |||
And now, alarming rumors arrived from the Upper Galilee about Arab attacks on Jewish settlements in the territory that had been handed over to the French occupation army according to the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and the Arabs were rebelling there against the French and were also attacking Jews in raids, robberies and murders. Trumpeldor immediately postponed his departure to Russia and went to the Tel Ḥai and Gil‘adi villages to lead the defense of Jewish honor and the land of Israel with few forces against many. In contrast to the opinions heard in the settlement that it was not worth risking lives, he strengthened the opinion of the far-sighted regarding the necessity of preserving the land and honor at all costs, without shying away from necessary sacrifices. | |||
For about two and a half months he led the defense in the north of the country against Bedouin gangs, soldiers of the “Sharif” army (of Emir Faisal the Hashemite, who reigned over Syria with the help of the English and against the will of the French) and local volunteers who defeated the French army and expelled it. The institutions in Jerusalem hesitated to send help. Despite that, reinforcements came from the south without their help, albeit insufficient. Under difficult conditions, the defenders of the north maintained their non-interference in the conflict between the Arabs and the French, and in the meantime went out to work in the fields under their own armed guard, and were more than once attacked by attacking Bedouins (In such attacks, Shneur Shpushnik and later Aharon Shar were killed, and the huts of the Ḥamra group were destroyed and set on fire. When Trompeldor and a few companions emerged, they were surrounded by a band of Bedouins and forced to hand over their clothes and return to the trenches wearing sacks in place of the garments that had been taken. However, Trompeldor managed to hide and save his pistol.). Amidst this constant tension and the feeling of loneliness and helplessness, the people of Tel Ḥai and Kfar Giladi continued their work and defense, and Trumpeldor’s diary entries were sent to the the Ayelet HaShaḥar village and from there to Tel Aviv and published, as official diaries of the Defense of the Galilee, in the newspapers of the two labor parties, ''Hapo‘el Hatza‘ir'' and ''Qontras'', evoking much anxiety in the community and little willingness to help. | |||
1 March 1920 seemed at first to be one of the most tense days that came one after another for the defenders of the Galilee. The men continued their work and defense in the uncertain hope that they might make it to the next day and the day after. That day, an attack was made on Tel Ḥai, and Trumpeldor, who was then in the village of Giladi, came with his comrades, alternating between covering fire and running according to his command, to the aid of Tel Hai. Later, Kemal Effendi came with several armed Arabs from the village of Khalsa and asked permission to enter Tel Hai to search for hidden Frenchmen (who were not and could not be there). Trumpeldor believed the word of honor of Kemal Effendi, a former Turkish officer, and allowed them to enter and search. Inside, they stole the gun from Deborah Drakhler, and then Trumpeldor gave the order to fire. During the battle, Trumpeldor was wounded in the stomach and his intestines spilled out. He gave instructions to the medic how to return them inside and how to bandage him, and in the meantime he continued to command the battle. Later, he handed over command to Pinḥas Schneerson and continued to give instructions from time to time. When the Arabs retreated and he was carried on a stretcher to Kfar Giladi, he said halfway through: “There is nothing better than dying for our country” (often cited as “It is good to die for our country”) - and ended his life story with the story of a heroic death in the war on the northern border of our country. | |||
In his memory, the [[Yosef Trumpeldor Labor Battalion|Joseph Trumpeldor Labor Battalion]] was founded shortly after his death, and some of the members later settled in Tel Joseph, which is named after him. Streets in the cities of the country and the [[Trumpeldor Alliance]] of the Revisionist youth were also named after him. | |||
Every year, many youths visit his grave to draw inspiration from his memory. |