Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Claire Neikind earned her MA from the Columbia Universiy Graduate School of Journalism, which awarded her a Pulitzer Traveling Scholarship.

Claire Neikind started working as a journalist for the monthly magazine the Reporter, and as a correspondent based in Roma, she contributed to many American publications, including the Washington Post, the International Herald Tribune, the Atlantic Monthly and Reader's Digest.

In August 1946, Claire Neikind interviewed Gido Devito, a high level Interior Ministry official, about the Italian attitude, in which Mr. Gido Devito cites: ¨If the British wish to patrol the sea coast, they will have to do it themselves."

On March 2, 1947, Claire Neikind, in a lengthy report, described the procedure by which Arab agents recruited Bosnians for the fight in Palestine, among the DPs in Italy.
Men between 22 and 32 were sought, and in return, they would receive free passage to Beirut and their families would receive maintenance. According to Claire Neikind's report, 300 men had already arrived, and 90 Croatian Ustashi were also making their way there.
Fifty-seven were sent to Amman.
Between December 1 and February 20 a total of 106 were sent to Syria.
Claire Neikind cites: "as soon as their families are settled, they enter Arab military service."
Her report substantiated that of Jon Kimche, written on February 4, which noted that up to 3,500 were being transferred to Syria to fight alongside Fawzi Kaukji's Arab Liberation Army ALA in its invasion of Palestine.
On March 14, 1947, a party of 67 Albanians, 20 Yugoslavs and 21 Croats led by an Albanian named Derwish Bashaco arrived by boat in Beirut from Italy.
They were hosted by the Palestine Arab Bureau and made their way to Damascus to join the Arab Liberation Army ALA.
In the first week of April another 200 Bosnians arrived in Beirut.

In 1981. Claire Neikind published The Terror Network, a book which purported to demonstrate that the Kremlin was behind a world-wide terror offensive, and was translated into 22 languages and used by the FBI in training agents.

Fabi Gaver served as Palyam Commander aboard Arba Heruyot ארבע חרויות, when she sailed from Bocca di Magra.
Claire Neikind cites: " Fabi Gever stood at the navigation bridge and ran the resistance from there."
"The humanitarian attitude shown by the British at that stage, as well as the immigrants' great exhaustion, r convinced the ship commander, Fabi Gever, to give up on another struggle during the actual deportation."
Fabi Gaver cites: "Arba Heruyot was special for several reasons. This was the first ship in which it was certain that if caught by the British, the Olim would be deported to Cyprus.
It was also the first ship that was ordered to resist deportation from Palestine with force. These conditions gave the Olim added motivation to obey the instructions of the Palyamniks, and they hid below deck despite the difficult conditions."

Peter Hoffman served as Palyam Escort aboard Arba Heruyot ארבע חרויות, when she sailed from Bocca di Magra.

Eli Zohar served as Gidoni, wireless radio operator, aboard Arba Heruyot ארבע חרויות, when she sailed from Bocca di Magra.

On August 23, 1946, with Yehuda Arazi's help, Claire Neikind anonymously sailed on Arba Heruyot ארבע חרויות from Bocca di Magra, and later published articles in the Palestine Post about her journey

Claire Neikind, who had embarked, incognito on Arba Heruyot ארבע חרויות, was arrested by the British, and detained in Cyprus.

On August 23, 1946, Eliko Cohen sailed on Arba Heruyot ארבע חרויות from Bocca di Magra for Palestine.

In 1951, Claire Neikind Sterling arrived in Italy, on her honeymoon with her husband, novelist Thomas Sterling, decided to stay, and for decades she lived in Roma.