Kol Tsion HaLokhemet ( he, קוֹל צִיּוֹן הלוֹחֶמֶת ) (lit. "Voice of Fighting Zion") was the
underground radio
Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license.
In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially w ...
station of the
Irgun
Irgun • Etzel
, image = Irgun.svg , image_size = 200px
, caption = Irgun emblem. The map shows both Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan, which the Irgun claimed in its entirety for a future Jewish state. The acronym "Etzel" i ...
.
History
Kol Zion HaLokhemet was operated from February 1939.
It may have been the first underground radio station in the world.
It was located opposite
Meir Park, in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
.
The radio station used its broadcasts to give information about the goals and intentions of the Irgun.
Irgun leader
Menachem Begin
Menachem Begin ( ''Menaḥem Begin'' (); pl, Menachem Begin (Polish documents, 1931–1937); ''Menakhem Volfovich Begin''; 16 August 1913 – 9 March 1992) was an Israeli politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of Israel. B ...
, who eluded capture during the struggle with the British during the period of the
British Mandate of Palestine, used Kol Zion to communicate with the Jews of
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
.
For example, he declared: "Not only were Jews injured and thousands of pounds worth of damage done to Jewish property in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. Our national pride was injured as well. Once again we became 'protected Jews' as British troops pretended to defend us..."
In 1939
Esther Raziel-Naor
Esther Raziel-Naor ( he, אסתר רזיאל-נאור, 29 November 1911 – 11 November 2002) was a Revisionist Zionist, Irgun leader and Israeli politician. She was the sister of fellow Irgun leader David Raziel.
Biography
Early life
Raziel was ...
, the sister of fellow Irgun leader
David Raziel, became the first broadcaster of the radio station.
In September 1945 the radio station was used to attack
Chaim Weizmann
Chaim Azriel Weizmann ( he, חיים עזריאל ויצמן ', russian: Хаим Евзорович Вейцман, ''Khaim Evzorovich Veytsman''; 27 November 1874 – 9 November 1952) was a Russian-born biochemist, Zionist leader and Israel ...
, of the
Jewish Agency
The Jewish Agency for Israel ( he, הסוכנות היהודית לארץ ישראל, translit=HaSochnut HaYehudit L'Eretz Yisra'el) formerly known as The Jewish Agency for Palestine, is the largest Jewish non-profit organization in the world. ...
, as a "Jewish
Quisling."
In August 1946 the station was used to call for a revolt and war against the Palestine Administration.
In November 1946 the station was used to denounce as lies British assertions that the Irgun intended to assassinate members of the government and the military.
That same month the Irgun used the station to appeal to the
Haganah
Haganah ( he, הַהֲגָנָה, lit. ''The Defence'') was the main Zionist paramilitary organization of the Jewish population ("Yishuv") in Mandatory Palestine between 1920 and its disestablishment in 1948, when it became the core of the ...
to join it in fighting the British.
It also used the station that month to indicate that it would be expanding its activities outside of Palestine.
[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uwgtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5tUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2453,3296405&dq=voice-of-fighting-zion+radio&hl=en ]
In December 1947, the station was used to announce "Enough
ith restraint From now on we
hall attackthe nests of murderers."
When the Irgun was attacked by the Haganah at the
Altalena, Begin used the radio station to urge his men not to counter-attack.
while at the same time excoriating
David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion ( ; he, דָּוִד בֶּן-גּוּרִיּוֹן ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary national founder of the State of Israel and the first prime minister of Israel. Adopting the name ...
.
A number of its radio broadcast transcripts between 1936 and 1948 are collected by ''Psychological Warfare and Propaganda: Irgun Documentation''.
See also
*
Voice of Israel
*
Kol Yisrael
References
External links
''Voice of fighting Zion'', by Irgun zevai leummi be-Erez Yisrael
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kol Tsion Halokhemet
Radio stations in Israel
Irgun
Radio stations established in 1939
Pirate radio stations
Mass media in Tel Aviv
1939 establishments in Mandatory Palestine
Mandatory Palestine in World War II
Radio stations disestablished in 1948
1948 disestablishments in Mandatory Palestine
Defunct mass media in Israel