The Betrayal That Armed the Zionists: A Forgotten Syrian Scandal

Watan-In 1947, Palestinians and Syrians donated their money and possessions to fund an arms deal from Czechoslovakia in support of the resistance against the Zionist occupation. The deal was overseen by then-Syrian Prime Minister Jamil Mardam, who issued passionate appeals for donations—even of gold and olives.

However, the deal, which faced objections from the Jewish Agency, was carried out through suspicious channels. It is believed that a secret agreement took place between Jamil Mardam and the Jewish Agency—especially given that he had allegedly been recruited by the agency during his earlier role as Syria’s ambassador to Cairo.

The Jewish Spy and the Sabotaged Shipment

The arms shipment was transported from Czechoslovakia to Italian ports, where it was intercepted by Zionist spies, led by the infamous and attractive Jewish spy Ada Palmos Serene, who sabotaged the shipment by detonating part of the cargo to disable the weapons.

Jamil Mardam sent his nephew, Major Fouad Mardam, to Rome, where he met the spy and spent considerable time with her. Under her direct guidance, he diverted the ship’s course from Beirut to Alexandria, and from there it was transferred to Palestine—where it was received by Haganah militias.

Deceiving the Authorities and a Scandalous Investigation

During the unfolding events, Fouad Mardam falsely informed Syrian authorities that the ship was being held in Greece, while in reality it was on its way to the Zionists. Upon returning to Damascus, he was interrogated by a Palestinian lawyer. The investigation exposed his deception, leading to his arrest.

On April 24, 1949, Fouad Mardam was sentenced to death by hanging on charges of high treason. The prosecutor stated during his plea:

“He stabbed our cause in the heart and sold out Palestine and seventy million Arabs for the sake of a Jewish woman who exploited him for the Zionists.”

However, the coup led by Husni al-Za’im later that year saved him from execution, and he was eventually granted a pardon.

New Admissions and U.S. Documents

A Jewish newspaper, Intermountain Jewish News, later reported the incident under the headline:

“The Jewish Woman Who Diverted a Syrian Arms Ship to the Haganah and Saved the Galilee!”

In 1950, documents from the U.S. State Department confirmed that Mardam had fallen under the influence of the Jewish spy, who was working for the Haganah.

In 2006, Zionist spy Amnon Yona revealed additional details, including the shipping manifest issued in Fouad Mardam’s name and under the Syrian Consulate in Rome—which was later transferred into Zionist hands.

A Wide Network of Betrayal

This was not an isolated act of betrayal. Key figures were involved, such as then-Syrian Defense Minister Ahmad al-Shurbaji, who had contacts with the Haganah during the ship’s journey, as well as Husni al-Za’im, who staged a coup in 1949 and pardoned Fouad Mardam.

While regimes were selling out the people’s weapons, young men from Palestine and Syria were sent to battle unarmed, with old rifles that didn’t function, and often without maps or coordination.

Conclusion

This is a forgotten story from the archives of great betrayals—where the honorable donated, and the traitors sold them out. It is a lesson from history showing that some regimes were not only incapable of defending Palestine, but actively participated in delivering it, piece by piece, and weapon by weapon, into Zionist hands.