PALESTINE: Hippo

In the Jewish city of Tel Aviv (pop. 174,000), most of it cordoned off from the rest of Palestine by British soldiers, the people crowded their synagogues last week. It was the time of Purim, ordinarily a time for dancing in the streets. Purim commemorates the Jews' deliverance from destruction by the Persians, as related in the Book of Esther. Now Tel Aviv's thousands prayed for deliverance from their troubles of today. At the close of services, rabbis and cantors issued warnings that children should not celebrate Purim with firecrackers or anything else that might sound like rifle fire. But a few boys did toss firecrackers at British armored cars.

Most of Tel Aviv's people settled down to making the best of a prescribed existence. Mayor Israel Rokach angrily ticked off some of his city's woes: "We have twelve dead people in our hospital and we can't bury them. We've got milk for one more day and they've stopped our milk trucks because their passes weren't properly stamped. We've slaughtered all our cattle and we're not getting any new cattle. It's complete disorganization. What kind of bastards do they think we are? We'll organize our lives. We haven't given up."

Unable to reach their jobs, thousands milled in the streets. A lively business sprang up: for 15 piastres (60¢) a guide would show a chink in the wall of soldiers and a way out of Tel Aviv. British troops made widespread searches for terrorists, collared many in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem who were merely terrorized. The Jews managed sly smiles at a British announcement that 25 "known members of the extremist Irgun Zvai Leumi and Stern Gang had been taken during "Operation Hippo" (the Army's designation for its application of martial law). Said Tel Avivians: "Hippo labored and brought forth a mouse."

Outside Tel Aviv there were a few minor attacks during the week. But on Sabbath night, inside the cordoned area, came a spectacular defiance of the British military. Terrorists besieged the heavily fortified local headquarters for Hippo, rained mortar and machine-gun fire from roofs and nearby windows on it for 75 minutes. When the smoke cleared, the British announced the toll: one Briton killed, four Jews killed, 15 wounded.