THE N.I.L.I. SPY RING & WILD WHEAT

Between 1915 to 1917 during WW1 from their home in Zichron Yaakov, Aharon Aaronson and his sister Sarah created a Jewish espionage network known as N.I.L.I. - an acronym for "Netsah Yisrael Lo Yeshaker", meaning "The Eternal One of Israel will not Lie". The group sided with the British againts the Turks who occupied the Holyland at the time. The core group comprised of the Aaronson family – Sarah,Aharon,Alex , Rivka, her fiance Avshalom Feinberg & Yosef Lishansky. In 1915 prior to Avshalom Feinberg joining the group he was falsly arrested by the Turks.

However a plague of locusts invaded the Holyland at the time and Aharon Aaronsohn was approached by the Turks to deal with the problem. He agreed on condition that they release his assistant Avashalom Feinberg. The Turks consequently acceeded to his request & Avshalom Feinberg was released from detention.

The question that begs to be asked is why the Turks turned to a Zionist for help ? Ahron Aaronson was a world reknown agronomist. He discovered Wild Wheat in 1906 whilst in Rosh Pina, a town in the upper Galilee near Safad. As predicted by Aaronson, the discovery revolutionized the production of cultivated wheat. This discovery enabled people to grow wheat in a designated area and obviated the need for them to go in search for wild wheat, therby enabling the mass production & harvesting of a staple food. The group encountered a lot of opposition by the local population as well as from the Zionist leadership, the latter of which objected to the fact that the group did not co-ordinate there activities with them. News of the Turkish genocidal massacre of the Armenians which Sarah Aaronson had witnessed whilst returning home from Constatinople, unerved the local population. They feared a Turkish victory would subject them to the same fate as that of the Armenians. (At this juncture I would like to express my full support for a resolution by Israel to officially acknowledge the Turkish Genocidal massacre of the Armemians).

Sarah Ahronson oversaw operations in Palestine. Because of Ahron Aaroson's status as a world reknown agronomist, geologist & botanist, he was able to move freely through Europe, the U.S.A & the Middle East, and as a consequence of which, was in charge of operations abroad.Because of his background he was able to map out wells across the Negev desert that were concealed & heavely gaurded. From Cairo he secretly liased with the British.However it was only after he arrived in London and was able to meet with the diplomat Sir Mark Sykes that the British fully realized the groups worth. Initially information was passed from the shores of Atlit to & from the steam yacht "Managem" which positioned itself within swimming distance off the coast line. Due to the presence of German submarines in the area, it was decided instead to use homing pigeons to convey information. Tragically one of these pigeons was caught at a Turkish govenors house in Caesaria & the message was decoded. This resulted in mass arrests of the group, who were then mercilessly tortured. The Turks tortured Sarah Aaronson for a number of days but could not break her. They then decided to send her to Damascus for futher torture. Prior to her departure she asked if she could go to her house in Zichron Yaakov to clean herself up to which the Turks acceded.Whilst in the house she managed to committ suicide by using a pistol that was concealed within the house.Tragically she did not die immediately but suffered for a number of days therafter until death finally relieved her pain.

Ron Traub (Tour Guide & Architect). Website : rontraub-tours.com Photo's : Rimonah Traub.