>1946 Black Sabbath
British Troops
On Saturday June 29th, the British imposed a curfew in Palestine. On that day, they arrested 2,700 members of the Jewish community.
In response to the escalating resistance from the Yishuv, the British government opted for decisive action. They initiated Operation Agatha, a plan designed to apprehend the Yishuv leadership, weaken the Palmach forces, and collect incriminating evidence against the Haganah's activities. On June 29, 1946, the operation commenced and became known as "Black Sabbath" within the Yishuv community.
Despite its ambitious goals, the operation was largely unsuccessful. While the British managed to detain approximately 200 Palmach members, the majority of the Yishuv leadership evaded capture. In total, around 2,700 Yishuv members were arrested. Ben Gurion, who was abroad at the time, remained unscathed, as did most of the Haganah leadership. However, a few key leaders were taken into custody.
Outraged by the operation, Ben Gurion denounced it as "a pogrom worthy of Tsarist Russia or Hitler." He hastily traveled from France to the United States to exert pressure on the British. During his visit, he met with Supreme Court Justice and prominent Zionist Felix Frankfurter, asserting that Palestine must be liberated from British rule.