Baruch Mizrahi

Baruch Mizrahi (Hebrew: ברוך מזרחי‎; born Hamuda Abu Al-Anyan), was a Palestinian Arab and member of the Irgun ("The National Military Organization in the Land of Israel") during the pre-Israel Jewish insurgency in Palestine. Born an Arab Muslim, he became fascinated by Zionism and eventually converted to Judaism.

Baruch Mizrahi
Native name
ברוך מזרחי
Born1926
Safed, Mandatory Palestine
DiedApril 18, 1948 (Aged 22)
Jenin, Mandatory Palestine
Buried
Netanya, Israel
AllegianceIrgun
Battles/wars 1948 Arab–Israeli War

Biography

Baruch Mizrahi, son of Mahmoud and Fatima, was born Hamuda Abu Al-Anyan to a well-known nationalistic family from Safed.[1] At a young age, he became interested in his Jewish neighbors and eventually approached Betar members in Safed who had gathered at the HaMeiri Dairy. He was intrigued by their way of life and stories of heroism. At one point he left the Arab government school in Safed and went to study at the local Jewish school, despite opposition from his family.[1] Hamuda, who was the only Arab student in a Jewish school, was accepted by the Jewish students, including future member of the Knesset, Avner Shaki.

When his mother died, his relationship with his father deteriorated. Hamuda soon left the house and moved to Haifa, determined to convert to Judaism. He underwent the conversion process, becoming known as Avraham ben Avraham.[2] Later on, after joining the Irgun, he took on the name Baruch Mizrahi.[3]

Shortly after joining the Betar branch in Haifa, Mizrahi joined the Irgun and took part in activities against the British. During one of the operations, he was apprehended and sent to the Latrun detention camp. He was held there for several months, until he was sent along with 55 other Etzel and Lehi exiles to Eritrea. When they didn't allow him to take anything, he insisted on taking a tallit and tefillin. About three weeks after arriving in Eritrea, Mizrahi was severely injured by the Sudanese guards, in an incident where two detainees were killed and 12 were wounded.[4] He was operated on for 24 hours by a British doctor and survived. Later on, his friend Danny Meterscu, told him with amusement that after receiving 20 doses of English blood, he was no longer Jewish. Only after realizing it was a joke, did Mizrahi, whose new identity as a Jew and a Zionist was so important to him, relax. He later took part in attempts to escape the detention camps.

After two years of exile in Africa, Baruch Mizrahi was suddenly released, returned to Palestine and became very active in the Irgun, later joining a group of Jewish Brigade veterans who established the Margolin outpost near Beit Lid Junction, Nordia. He continued to carry out intelligence activities within the framework of the Arab Department of the Irgun, and on April 18, 1948, he was sent to an intelligence gathering in preparation for an operation in Jenin. While on-route to Jenin from Haifa, they were stopped for routine inspection in the Megiddo area. The Arab policeman at the checkpoint identified Mizrahi by the golden tooth in his mouth, and he along with three Arabs he had met during the journey, were brought before the Kaukji court in Jaba. His fate was not known at the time, and he was declared absent until 1968.

Aftermath

After the Six-Day War, journalist Yehezkel Hameiri began to investigate the fate of Baruch Mizrahi. He went to the village of Jaba near Nablus, heard from the locals about "the Jew" executed by soldiers of Kaukji and eventually arrived at the cave Mizrahi was buried. During the search, the body of the three executed Arabs were found buried with Mizrahi, who was identified by the structure of his teeth and golden tooth. On October 9, 1969, Baruch Mizrahi was buried with full military honors as a Jew in the military section of the Netanya cemetery. Among the escorts was Menachem Begin and Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren.

Beginning in 2015, the Shomron Regional Council began organizing annual pilgrimages to Mizrahi's grave on the anniversary of his death.[5][6]

References
  1. Haimovitz, Mordechai. "נולד כערבי, מת כלוחם יהודי". NRG.
  2. Benari, Elad. "Memorial to be Held for Irgun Fighter who Converted to Judaism". Arutz Sheva.
  3. "Mizrahi, Baruch". Izkor Database of Israel's Fallen.
  4. "Names of those hurt in Eritrea". Historical Jewish Press.
  5. Ben-Kimon, Elisha. "Born a Muslim, converted to Judaism, and died fighting for Israel". Ynetnews.
  6. Cohen, Shimon. "הערבי שהתגייר ונפל בשורות האצ"ל". Inn.co.il.
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