On the 8th of Nisan, two young freedom fighters – Eliyahu Bet-Zuri and Eliyahu Ḥakim – were executed in Cairo.
They had assassinated Lord Moyne – the highest ranking British official in West Asia. But due to their refusal to harm an Egyptian police officer, they were apprehended and imprisoned.
At their highly sensationalized trial, the two Eliyahus expressed themselves so impressively that students affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood organized protests for their freedom at the University of Cairo.
The story of these boys isn’t just about one assassination; it’s about a broader struggle to free the land of Israel from foreign rule – a struggle that transcends generations and imperial rulers.
One of the Eliyahus had come from a wealthy Mizraḥi family of kohanim, the other from a poor Ashkenazi family – yet they found common cause in the anti-colonial struggle against British rule as fighters in the Leḥi (Fighters for the Freedom of Israel) underground.
This video dives deep into their final mission, their trial, their unwavering conviction and how their legacy impacted not only their own people’s struggle for independence, but also the other peoples of the region suffering from imperialism.
