![]() ![]() ![]() Passengers tried to repel the British forces by hurling potatoes and canned goods at them.Ī British soldier and three Jews were killed in the clashes, including an American volunteer sailor from San Francisco, before Harel ordered his passengers to surrender. The British intercepted the Exodus, hitting the ship's bow and attempting to board the boat. They shut off the ship's lights in the dead of night and swiftly changed the ship's course, heading for Palestine. The British commanders ordered that the refugees not be allowed into Palestine, then under British control, and be sent back to Europe.īut the defiant Harel and his skipper planned a daring escape from under the nose of the British destroyer that was escorting them. The boat left on Jwith 4,553 Jewish refugees on board and headed toward Palestine until it was intercepted by British navy vessels. When he secretly set sail from France on the Exodus, a rickety former Chesapeake Bay steamer originally called the President Warwick, Harel could not have known that the voyage would become legendary. He was "modest, a brave fighter and a hero who did not seek acts of heroism," said Shaul Biber, a fellow former Palmach fighter. ![]() Harel, who died on April 26 of cardiac arrest at the age of 90, was remembered as a hero by his former comrades, the Jewish refugees he helped bring to Israel and the leaders of the country. We do not share data with third party vendors. Get Jewish Exponent's Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories ![]()
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