Cable & Wireless Ltd. Telegram
DELAYED AT ORIGIN (unused, superseded several days late)
Date: July 14, 1948
PRESS TIMES LONDON –
JERUSALEM
Five British officials of Jerusalem Electric and Public Service Corporation been kidnapped by Irgun Zevai Leumi terrorists [1] from Jerusalem power station, which is under protection of the consular truce commission. Kidnapped officials are Michael Bryant, acting director of corporation, [Frederick] Sylvester, and [?] Leach.
[1] Asher Lazar rejected the Irgun’s philosophy of revenge. He believed that violence only leads to more violence—it does not bring peace. While he was in the hospital after being attacked, members of the Irgun visited his room to tell him they had carried out a retaliatory operation on his behalf: they had hurled a barrel of explosives into an Arab coffee shop in East Jerusalem, destroying the establishment. Lazar was furious. He demanded that they leave his hospital room immediately, and from that point on, he often referred to them as terrorists.
