Bidspirit auction | ”Thus they murdered the four:

”Thus they murdered the four: through deceit, cowardice, and abuse...” – a harsh poster issued by the Irgun organization following the execution of four of the ”Olei HaGardom.” April, 1947 - ”Beware, you murderers of prisoners” – ”...like cowards... they hurried the executioner: quickly, quickly, if there is no rabbi – hang him without a rabbi; if there is no confession, hang him without a confession; quickly, quickly, executioner, tighten the noose. No plea is to be delayed; we want this blood, we want to see how a son of the hated race writhes on the gallows rope...” A protest poster following the hanging execution of four of the ”Olei HaGardom” by the authorities of the British Mandate. Kol Zion HaLochemet, the broadcasting station of the Irgun – 30 Nissan 5707 – April 20, 1947. The poster describes the statements broadcast on the radio ”Kol Zion HaLochemet” after the grave event – first, the ”lulling” tactic employed by the British toward the lawyers and family members several days before the execution, when they told them: ”We have no interest whatsoever in hanging this unfortunate young man... all of them, without exception, deliberately lied and denied...” It then goes on to depict, in dark tones, the act of the execution itself: ”we want to see how a son of the hated race writhes on the gallows rope...” And in the left column, in the form of a lament, the heroism of the Jewish fighters is described: ”Thus the four died: in song, in love of the people, in contempt for the cowardly enemy, in faith in victory and in freedom, ” followed by words of farewell: ”Rest in your graves, our great, pure brothers... atone for us with your blood! Continue to fight!... we shall bring liberty and redemption to the tormented people.” Only the name of Dov Gruner is mentioned in the poster – ”the words of our great brother, the man of steel, who preserved his honor... Dov did not rise; they tried to force him to stand and beat him. They beat a man walking to his death, mere moments before his soul was taken...”.  Gruner was arrested during the attack on the Ramat Gan police station and was executed on April 16, 1947. The other three were Mordechai Alkahi, Yehiel Dresner, and Eliezer Kashani; they were arrested on their way to the Night of the Beatings operation, in which British officers were flogged in retaliation for a flogging punishment carried out by the British on the body of the Irgun member Binyamin Kimhi. The three were captured after a firefight and were executed on April 16, 1947. [1] Leaf. 47x31 cm. Fold mark. Very good condition.