From Our Archives: July 30 [pg. 14]

By ALEXANDER ZVIELLI
65 YEARS AGO On July 30, 1941, The Palestine Post reported that Britain was working itself into one huge war machine. "We are not a totalitarian state, but we are working ourselves into one total war organization," Prime Minister Winston Churchill told the House of Commons during the debate on war production. Advanced German motorized columns were reported to be outflanking Smolensk and on their way to Moscow. The RAF bombed and damaged over 30 German and Italian planes at an aerodrome in Sicily. Japan was reported to be facing a complete economic blockade by the US, British and Dutch naval forces. The US, however, denied that it was seizing Japanese ships. Britain sent more manpower and ships to Singapore. 50 YEARS AGO On July 30, 1956, The Jerusalem Post reported that Egypt continued to seize Suez Canal property and forced the foreign staff serving the canal to continue their work as usual. President Nasser warned Britain and France that if they used force to stop the canal's nationalization, they would be met with force. British units in the Suez Canal zone were put on alert. In Moscow, Pravda supported Egypt on the Suez Canal seizure, and Nasser rejected an undisclosed US note he had received dealing with the issue of the canal. An UN officer was killed when he stepped on an Egyptian mine near Kibbutz Nir Oz. Jordan rejected UN findings on the recent Kastel infiltration attempt where three UN observers were wounded, one of them seriously. 25 YEARS AGO On July 30, 1981, The Jerusalem Post reported that four persons were injured when terrorists opened fire on Ma'aleh Hahamisha. Israeli planes downed a Syrian Mig-25 "Foxbat" interceptor, one day after Damascus vowed to knock out Israeli fighter planes flying over Lebanon, including Beirut. The Austrian ambassador in Israel revealed that there was an invitation for the Israeli foreign minister to visit Austria which was never taken up.