Jerusalem Explosion, San Francisco Chronicle, Mar. 12, 1948.

11 Killed, 86 Hurt as Jewish Agency Building Is Blasted

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By the United Press

JERUSALEM, March 11—A wing of the Jewish Agency headquarters was blown up today by an explosive-laden truck which apparently was stolen from the United States Consulate General. It was still flying the American flag.

The Palestine government announced 11 persons were killed and 86 wounded. All were Jews. The wounds of 33 were serious.

Among those killed were four officials of the Palestine Foundation Fund. Gershon Hirsch, official spokesman for the Jewish Agency, was slightly wounded.

Police sent out an alarm for Abton Daud, a missing American Consulate General chauffeur, believing he drove the car which planted the explosives.

Jews were convinced Arabs were responsible for the blast. Their anger reached a new high and throughout the Jewish quarters there were threats of vengeance.

STOLEN CARS

A green-gray 1947 Ford sedan and a green station wagon were stolen Saturday from the Consult General.

Police believed that Daud, a Christian Arab, drove one of the two cars into the courtyard of the horseshoe-shaped Agency building, containing a central headquarters and two wings, and planted the explosives.

It was reported that Daud had cast his lot with the militant Arabs and was at the Ramallah headquarters of Abdul Kader Hueesini, commanding the Jerusalem area for the Arabs.

The car was driven into the carefully guarded Jewish Agency area from a British security zone, the gate of which is only five yards from the Agency building.

The car’s driver managed to pass into the Agency area because the car flew an American Flag.

The wing which was blown up houses the Palestine Foundation Fund and the National Council of Palestine Jews, or Vaad Leumi. The Jewish Agency for Palestine occupies the central part of the building. But now that a future Jewish government is being formed, high officials of the Agency make their headquarters in Tel Aviv. Haganah, which is to be the basis for a future Jewish army, occupies the wing opposite that which was bombed.

AGENCY OFFICES

The Jewish Agency part was damaged, as was Rachlin House near by, which has been used for some months as a British troop billet. Windows over a half-mile radius were shattered.

Within a few minutes, Haganah men had taken charge and started rescue work.

At first 100 and within a few hours thousands of Haganah men sealed off the entire Jewish quarter in Western Jerusalem. Trained men in battle dress and black berets, openly carrying arms including Sten guns, took up their posts.