Reprisal raids were nothing new to the Israelis, even 60 years ago when Arik and his men conducted the bulk of their night operations. The following is an excerpt from the second book of the Maccabees about an incident in the town of Joppa (shown at left) by one of Unit 101's most illustrious predecessors:
"The people of Joppa went so far as to perpetrate the following outrage: they invited the Jews living among them to go aboard some boats they had lying ready, taking their wives and children. There was no hint of any intention to harm them; there had been a public vote by the citizens, and the Jews accepted, as well they might, being peaceable people with no reason to suspect anything. But once out in the open sea they were all sent to the bottom, a company of at least two hundred.
When Judas heard of the cruel fate of his countrymen, he issued his orders to his men and, after invoking God, the just judge, he attacked his brothers' murderers. Under cover of dark he set fire to the harbor, burned the boats and put to the sword everyone who had taken refuge there."
- 2 Maccabees 12.3-6
"The people of Joppa went so far as to perpetrate the following outrage: they invited the Jews living among them to go aboard some boats they had lying ready, taking their wives and children. There was no hint of any intention to harm them; there had been a public vote by the citizens, and the Jews accepted, as well they might, being peaceable people with no reason to suspect anything. But once out in the open sea they were all sent to the bottom, a company of at least two hundred.
When Judas heard of the cruel fate of his countrymen, he issued his orders to his men and, after invoking God, the just judge, he attacked his brothers' murderers. Under cover of dark he set fire to the harbor, burned the boats and put to the sword everyone who had taken refuge there."
- 2 Maccabees 12.3-6
