Articles - Antoine Daoud - Bombing of the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem COPS


Antoine Daoud - Bombing of the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem COPS | Our Palestine

"Love brought me back to Palestine."


This is the story of an expatriate who returned to Palestine as a revolutionary, a rebel who was expelled from Palestine to continue his revolution in Cuba, and then passed away while planning to revolutionize and seek revenge once again. It's about a fighter whose tales rival the plots of movies.


The Holy Jihad forces decided to focus on the main enemy targets, so Abdul Qader al-Husseini (the overall commander) ordered the targeting of the headquarters of the Jewish Agency, which was established to work with the British Mandate administration to facilitate the transformation of Palestine into a Jewish homeland.


The building of the Jewish Agency is located on George V Street in the city of Jerusalem and housed offices of the Jewish Treasury, the Jewish Financial Council, and the political administration offices of the Zionist Organization.


The fighter Antoine Daoud volunteered to carry out the mission, and Fawzi Qutb, the commander of the demolition squad, prepared the consul's car with explosives, as Antoine worked as a driver for the consul, enabling him to bypass British and Zionist checkpoints.


The explosion resulted in the destruction of the northern wing of the building and the burning of a large amount of documents and files, killing 11 settlers and injuring 86 others.


The gang leaders went crazy and attempted to attack Arab neighborhoods, but the Holy Jihad forces took precautionary measures, causing additional losses to the enemy.


Antoine Daoud (1909 - 1969)


He was a Palestinian nationalist and international revolutionary who participated in the 1936 uprising and later in the Cuban revolution.


Early Life:


Antoine Jameel Salim Daoud, also known as Antonio al-Talhami, was born in 1909 in Bogota, Colombia, to an Arab family from Bethlehem. He graduated from St. John's College in 1930. He fought against the American army in Mexico in the battle of "La Cieja Vieja" and later moved to Honduras in 1932, where he established a civil aviation company called "TACA."


Return to Palestine:


In the 1930s, he moved to France, where he stayed with relatives of the Al-Jasser family, then headed to Palestine. He joined the British Mandate police force and became involved in the leadership of the 1936 revolution, providing the rebels with information and covering for them by exploiting his work in the police force. In the 1940s, he worked with the American consul in Jerusalem and remained connected with Arab militants. On March 11, 1948, he drove the consul's car, which was rigged with explosives by Fawzi Qutb, into the Jewish Agency building, causing it to explode and turn into rubble. The blast extended to the Jerusalem Post building. The casualties were estimated at around 36 killed and nearly 40 Zionists wounded.


From Jerusalem to Cuba:


In 1950, he met Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in Guatemala and contributed to their preparations for the revolution in Cuba, accompanying them aboard the boat "Granma," which formed the nucleus of the Cuban revolution. He also accompanied Guevara to Bolivia in the 1960s and fought alongside him in the revolution. He visited Vietnam and China and met with revolutionary leaders, including Mao Zedong.


Death of Antoine Daoud:


On August 4, 1969, Antoine died in Kuwait, determined to carry out a resistance operation with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, but fate intervened, and he was buried wrapped in the Palestinian flag.


Quotes by Antoine Daoud:


"Love brought me back to Palestine."


"Freedom fighters must struggle within the lands they intend to liberate. Wars are not won from behind desks. Those who do not fight for their homeland, when they come to power, often turn into dictators."


"Poverty led my grandfather away from my country, but love brought me back to it."