GPS June 2020

Disrupted Mail To and From
Germany During the Arab-Israeli
Conflict
Larry Nelson
On May 14, 1948, the British evacuated Palestine and Israel
declared its independence pursuant to United Nations Resolution
181, adopted November 29, 1947. The War of Independence between
Israel and its neighbors followed and did not end until the last armistice
was signed with Syria on July 20, 1949. What followed were many
years when there was no postal service between Israel and its neighbors.
Indeed, it was not until January 27, 1980 that the first postal service was
established between Israel and Egypt. However, from time to time, mail
to or from Germany and Israel (as well as the Arab countries) would
be disrupted, resulting in delays and sometimes censorship. This article
reviews examples of such mail.
In 1947 and 1948, prior to the creation of Israel, there was much
unrest in Palestine. It is during this period that the cover shown in
Image 1 was sent from Berlin to Haifa, Palestine. It was, however,
misdirected to Cairo, Egypt and censored there by a Type 1 Egyptian
censor handstamp on the front (Reference 1, p. 113)
Image 1, front and back
Note that this philatelic cover was originally cancelled at the Leipzig
Fair on March 7, 1948. It was subsequently addressed and sent by registered
mail from Berlin on April 16, 1948 to Haifa, using a Rohrpost
cancel. I would like to thank Walter Farber for explaining that this type
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German Postal Specialist