The Palestinian commander who trained with German commandos in WWII
In short: During World War II, a Palestinian nationalist leader fled to Nazi Germany to receive covert training and funding. He later returned to the Middle East to lead a guerrilla army, utilizing weapons hidden in the desert and employing foreign volunteers to fight for his cause.
Hasan Salama (1913–1948) was a prominent Palestinian Arab nationalist who rose to prominence during the 1936–39 Arab revolt against British mandatory rule. Operating under the nom de guerre Abu Ali, he commanded operations in the Lydda-al-Ramla-Jaffa area, focusing on sabotage efforts such as destroying railway tracks and electrical poles. His involvement with the militant movement was so significant that by 1941, he was involved in the Rashid Ali coup in Iraq, where he led a group of 165 Palestinian fighters.
Following the collapse of the Arab revolt, Salama moved into the sphere of the Grand Mufti Hajj Amin al-Husseini. This connection led him to Nazi Germany, where he became a virtual covert operative for German intelligence (Amt VI). While on the Nazi payroll, Salama underwent commando and sabotage training. In 1944, he participated in Operation ATLAS, parachuting into Palestine with explosives and poison capsules intended to supply resistance groups and target Jewish locations. During WWII, he recovered Nazi weaponry concealed within the Egyptian sands.
By 1947, Salama served as second-in-command of the Palestinian Holy War Army. His forces were unique for their reliance on foreign volunteers; because many local Arabs avoided direct combat, he integrated Bosnian Yugoslavian troops—many of whom were veterans of the Waffen SS's 13th Handžar division. These soldiers provided expertise in explosives and fortifications. Salama’s military career concluded in June 1948 when he was wounded during the battle of Ra's al-‘Ayn, just as the 1948 Palestine War reached its peak.
Salama's legacy is marked by complex international ties, spanning from British-occupied Palestine to Nazi Germany and Iraqi military colleges. He is also historically linked to his son, Ali Hassan Salameh, who would later become a central figure in the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Hasan Salama
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