The Israel Electric Corporation has revealed historical telegrams documenting how the launch of electricity in Tel Aviv became part of a political struggle in the British Parliament, ahead of the 103rd anniversary of the city's first power plant.
The documents, released from the company's archives, were exchanged in the summer of 1923 between Israel Electric founder Pinhas Rotenberg in London and company officials in Mandatory Palestine. According to the company, they show how progress on the electrification of Tel Aviv became a point of contention during debates over Zionist development in the region.
At the time, anti-Zionist members of the British Parliament who opposed the Balfour Declaration sought to revoke concessions granted to Rotenberg, arguing that the electricity project was progressing too slowly.
According to the documents, Rotenberg believed the outcome of the debate could affect not only the project itself but also broader Zionist efforts. In a telegram sent from London, he urged company officials to begin supplying electricity immediately and to report progress before a parliamentary debate.
"It is essential to announce in Parliament on Monday that the supply of energy has begun," Rotenberg wrote, according to the documents. He also instructed officials to begin regular electricity supply to the streets of Tel Aviv and the British governor's building.
Electricity as proof on the ground
The following day, station management reported that electricity supply had begun and that hundreds of residents had already been connected to the grid.
According to the Israel Electric Corporation, the information was used by Zionists in Britain, including Colonial Secretary Sir William Ormsby-Gore, to counter criticism of the project and help preserve the concession granted to Rotenberg.
The company said the documents highlight the strategic importance of the Tel Aviv power station during the early years of the Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine.
Beyond its technological significance, the electrification of Tel Aviv served as evidence of the community's ability to develop and operate national infrastructure, the company said.