April 16, 1947
Britain Hangs Four Irgun Men at Acre
Historical context
On April 16, 1947, British authorities hanged Dov Gruner, Yehiel Dresner, Mordechai Alkahi, and Eliezer Kashani at Acre Prison.
Archive record
Read the event, then follow its documented sources and archive threads.
- Date
- April 16, 1947
- Verified sources
- 2
- Archive threads
- 6
On this day, before dawn, British authorities hanged four Irgun men at Acre Prison: Dov Gruner, Yehiel Dresner, Mordechai Alkahi, and Eliezer Kashani. A history of the Palestine Police records that they had been moved from Jerusalem because of a feared rescue, and that the hangings were carried out in secret. Relatives were told only afterward.
The Irgun’s own account says each man sang Hatikvah on the way to the gallows, and that no rabbi was present. The four were buried in Safed.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- 1947: Four Executions and a Funeral · Palestine Police Old Comrades Association · British Palestine Police View source
- The Gallows · Irgun · Etzel View source
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