Nili facts for kids
NILI (Hebrew: נִילי) was a secret Jewish group. They helped the United Kingdom during World War I. Their goal was to fight the Ottoman Empire in Palestine between 1915 and 1917. The group was mainly based in Zichron Ya'acov. They also had smaller groups in places like Hadera.
The name NILI is an acronym. It comes from a Hebrew phrase: "Netzah Yisrael Lo Yeshaker" (1 Samuel 15:29). This means "the Eternal One of Israel will not lie." The British government called NILI the "A Organization."
The NILI group disagreed with other Jewish leaders at the time. They tried to help the Armenian people. Most other Jews in Palestine feared harsh treatment from the Ottomans. These fears almost came true when NILI was discovered. However, the Jewish people in Palestine avoided a terrible fate. This was thanks to help from the Vatican, Germany, and General Erich von Falkenhayn. He commanded the Ottoman-German troops.
How NILI Started
The NILI group was formed and led by several people. These included Sarah Aaronsohn, her brothers Aaron and Alex. Their sister Rivka and her fiancé Avshalom Feinberg were also key members.
In 1915, Avshalom Feinberg was arrested by the Ottomans. They suspected him of spying, but he wasn't yet. While Feinberg was held in Beersheba, Yosef Lishansky joined NILI in December 1915. Lishansky helped pass information between Feinberg and Sarah Aaronsohn. Sarah was working from Atlit.
A big problem hit Palestine from March to October 1915. A plague of locusts destroyed almost all plants. The Turkish authorities were worried about feeding their soldiers. They asked Aaron Aaronsohn for help. He was a world-famous botanist and expert in farming. Aaronsohn asked for his friend Avshalom Feinberg to be released. The team fighting the locusts could move freely. This allowed them to gather important information about Ottoman camps and troops.
For many months, British intelligence did not take the group seriously. Aaron Aaronsohn and Avshalom Feinberg tried to connect with British officials. Their attempts in Cairo and Port Said failed. Aaronsohn finally went to London. Because of his good reputation, he got help from a diplomat named Sir Mark Sykes. Sarah Aaronsohn managed all the secret operations in Palestine. She worked from Zikhron Ya'akov.
How NILI Ended
Avshalom Feinberg was killed while trying to reach Egypt on foot. Yosef Lishansky was wounded but managed to get to the British lines.
From February to September 1917, a steam yacht called Managem sailed regularly. It went to the Palestinian coast near Atlit. Lishansky would swim ashore to collect NILI information. He also brought money sent by American Jews to help the starving Jewish community. But German submarines made these trips too dangerous. So, the group started using homing pigeons instead.
In the fall of 1917, NILI was exposed. A Bosnian official named Ahmad Bek Kat-huda Ćehajić found one of their carrier pigeons. The Ottomans were able to figure out the NILI code within a week. The code used Hebrew, Aramaic, French, and English.
As a result, the Ottomans uncovered the spy network. The leaders of the Jewish community and the Hashomer group then distanced themselves from NILI. One NILI member, Na'aman Belkind, was captured. He reportedly shared information about the group. Other prisoners were held in Damascus. Lishansky and Belkind were executed.
Remembering NILI
The Aaronsohn family home in Zikhron Ya'akov is now a museum. It is called Beit Aaronsohn. It serves as a memorial to NILI. West of Zichron Yaakov is a village called Givat Nili. The settlement Nili in the western Binyamin region is also named after the group. Many streets across Israel are named Nili. In December 2015, the Israel Post released a special stamp. It marked 100 years since NILI was formed.
