Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל was a cargo ship
Registered name: Lochit Lohita or Lochita
Nickname: Tnuat haMeri haIvri תנועת המרי העברי
Capacity: 4,000 tons
Engine: coal fied steam engine
Max Speed: 5 knots, 120 Sea Miles/day

Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל sailed from Pireaus Πειραιάς, slipping under the radar of Greek and British Naval Authories, without formal clearance.
Her captain was Greek, and she had a full complement of regulation crew.
She was prepared for passengers with scaffolding and bunks, approximately 6 X 3 X 2.5 feet allocated per person.
A medical corner was added, along with toilets on deck, and wooden stairs to the 10 levels.

In November, 1946, MS Anastasia Abba Berditchev moored in Bakar, beside Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל.
On November 4, 1946, both vessels sailed for Palestine.

On November 4, 1946, Lohita Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל, along with MS Anastasia, sailed from Bakar, on a two-and-a-half week voyage, carrying 4,000 passengers.
Palyam.org cites Lohita Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל sailing on November 5, 1946, carrying 3,445 passengers.
Reuven Yatir cites: Lohita Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל carried 3,500 passengers and a small vessel, Saint, carried 500 passengers, but on their "way to the open sea the “Saint” ran into a small island and sank. We transferred her passengers to our vessel and continued our voyage in an orderly manner."
Benyamin Yerushalmi served as Commander aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Yossi Harel served as second-in-command aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Yoash Tzdon served as Gidoni, wireless radio operator, aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
She sailed close to the Dalmatian coast.
Before she set sail, she had been given the name, תנועת המרי העברי Tnuat haMeri haIvri, the Hebrew Resistance Movement, and her captain told the passenger at muster, prior to sailing, that they should be accountable to her name.
The resistance group included 2,000 individuals, most from youth movements.
Her name was changed to Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל on orders from the Yishuv.

Benyamin 'Ben' Yerushalmi served as Commander aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Reuven Yatir cites: a group of Maapilim he had trained in seamanship took over running of the ship, when they left the Aegean Sea and let the Greek crew go, and "They went back to Piraeus in a small boat, together with Ben Yerushalmi."

Yossi Harel served as Second-in-Command aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.

Yoash 'Chato' Tzidon served as Palyam Escort מלווה and Gidoni גדעוני, wireless radio operator, aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
He came to Bakar with the Maapilim, from the transit camp in Zagreb.

Reuven Hirsch Yatir served as Palyam Escort מלווה aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.

Reuven Yatir cites "In November 1946, 4,000 mMaapilim arrived and Yoash Tzidon, the Gideoni (radio operator), came with them from the transit camp in Zagreb. Knesset Israel took on 3,500 Maapilim and a small vessel, the Saint, took the other 500."

Jacob Berger, his wife, Klara, and daughter, Carmela, sailed for Palestine aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.

Moshe Malkiel, age 17 years, sailed for Palestine aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.

Matilda and Pnina Wiesel sailed for Palestine aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.

On November 5, 1946, MS Anastasia Abba Berditchev's engine broke down, and she began drifting towards the islands along the Dalmatian coast.
Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל tried to send her a tow-line, but the weather and the rocky coast made it to dangerous.

On November 9, 1946, MS Anastasia Abba Berditchev foundered near shore, and sank, but passengers managed to climb ashore.
Local fisherman rescued the survivors and provided accomodations for the night.
The passengers were rescued by Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל.

Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל anchored off Split for two days, preparing to accept the survivors from MS Anastasia Abba Berditchev, while the Yugoslav governemnt issued orders to bake thousands of loaves of bread for the passengers.

An RAF surveillance plane spotted Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל north of Cyprus.
On November 25, 1946, Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל was intercepted by 4 British destroyers.
Mossad leAliyah Bet ordered Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל to sail towards Haifa, stop 3 miles off shore and allow a unit of British Marines to board.
The British destroyers sailed close to Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל, and almost butted her.
Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל attempted to evade the British boats for 5 days, but when she came in site of Haifa, she allowed the British Marines to board.
The engineers sabotaged the main engine
Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל was captured after much resistance from crew and passengers.

Resistance lasted 3 hours, during which a sixteen year old passenger was killed, and dozens were wounded.
The passengers of Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל, which included 500 children, 100 pregnant women and six babies born during the voyage, were transferred to 3 transport ships at Haifa. and deported to Famagusta, where they were taken to Karaolos detention camp.

Dr. Aviva Halamish, cites the voyage of Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל brought to the fore the contrasts between the Yishuv, the Jewish community in pre-state Israel, and the clandestine immigrants, who were Holocaust survivors and "carried their struggle with them."
Inspired by the story of Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל, the poet Natan Alterman wrote in the newspaper Davar of the "division of labor" between the two groups.