Haavara FAQs: A secret document (“Geheime Kommandosache”) in the form of a report emanating from the Department II 112 of the Berlin Security Police, and addressed to and received by the Chief of the Security Police, Berlin.

The document puts before the higher authority a plan to secure the collaboration with the SD as a permanent intelligence worker of “the Jew Feivel Polkes”. He is described as being in a leading position in the Jewish Intelligence Service ‘Haganah’; contact had been made through the then DNB correspondent in Palestine Dr. Reichert. Polkes visited Berlin from 26 February to 2 March 1937. During this visit, the SD formed the idea that Polkes was well informed about ”all important matters concerning ‘World Jewry'”. (p.1)

Biographical data about Polkes is given. He apparently emigrated from Poland to Palestine in 1920 or 1921, where he “passed an examination for a Zionist Defence Organisation in Palestine”. He allegedly stated that, after holding various other offices, he was in charge of the whole of the defence organisation of the Palestine Jews during the Arab disturbances at the time (1937) (p.2)

Polkes is described as “Nationalzionist” and as such opposed to all Jewish movements directed against the erection of a Jewish state in Palestine. As a Hagana man, he was adverse to Communism as well as to the British pro-Arab policy.

Polkes is reported to have been sent by Haganah to various European countries where he was supposed to collect information and money for the Jewish intelligence service. In his luggage - which was searched (by the SD?) - there were found addresses of Jewish persons in Berlin, Paris, etc., among others that of Fritz Wolff, editor of the Pariser Tageszeitung, and a letter of introduction to him (p.3).

On the recommendation of Dr. Reichert who is said to have received from Polkes important intelligence about the events in Palestine, Polkes was admitted to Germany. The expenses of this journey and of his stay in Berlin - apparently not planned by Haganah were borne by the SD.

During the conversations with a representative of the SD he is later on in the document identified as SS-Hauptscharfuehrer Eichmann - of whose identity and office Polkes allegedly was not aware - he is said to have named as his political aim the establishment of a Jewish majority in Palestine as soon as possible and that, to reach this goal he worked with, as well as against the “Intelligence Service, the “Sûreté générale”, ”Great Britain and Italy” (p.3).

Polkes is alleged to have been prepared to supply the Nazi authorities with intelligence as far as this would not run couhter to his own political aims. He is said to have further offered to assist German interests in various ways, e.g. by helping the German Reich to acquire oil wells in the Middle East, without prejudice to British interests on the spot; the equivalent for this should be a loosening of the German Currency Regulations for Jews intending to emigrate to Palestine. He is said to have been prepared to act as informer Polkes allegedly professed knowledge of “facts and persons behind the assassination of Gustloff” he is supposed to have denied that the Weltliga was the motive power behind it (p.4).

There then follow various suggestions in what way the SD might make use of Polkes’s position and knowledge, in order to acquire information about the plans of World Jewry, which was considered of prime importance especially in view of the numerous murder threats and plans for assassinations emanating from the Alliance Israélite Universelle in Paris, (p.4) against Hitler, Henlein, etc.

The document suggests the appointment of SS-Hauptscharfuehrer Eichmann as contact man, and - as Polkes was unable to leave Palestine again because of the disturbances - the dispatch to Palestine of Eichmann (who had been invited by Polkes to visit the Jewish settlements), and another Gestapo agent. Kareski, the director of the Ivria Bank, is said to have volunteered two free tickets (p.5).

This saving of expenses, however, appeared inadvisable as the identity of the two emissaries might thus leak out, for whose protection various “safety measures” are then suggested. (E.g. they were supposed to travel under the guise of editors of the Frankfurter Zeitung or the Berliner Tageblatt).

This is followed by the enumeration of several points on which intelligence would be highly desirable, and finally by suggested “equivalents” for Polkes’s activities, including a monetary award; it is stressed that this could be done in a way which would not involve the SD or the Gestapo in any extra expenses (p.6-7).

Analyst’s Remarks: It is just possible that Polkes was indeed suggesting to act as an agent for the German Intelligence Service. However, it is just as feasible that, in the interests of Haganah, he intended to “double-cross” the Nazis. The way in which Polkes - according to the document - boosted his own political importance and appeared to indulge the Nazi ideas about the “sinister plans and world-wide conspiracy of World Jewry” rather point to the second alternative. A point of interest is the parsimonious attitude of the SD as to costs that might be involved.

https://wiener.soutron.net/Portal/Default/en-GB/recordview/index/106540