In 1917, great Britain issued the Balfour declaration, stating its support for a Jewish state in Israel. After taking Palestine from the Ottomans, Britain would allow an influx of Jewish immigration into the region.
The Jewish agency was established by the world Zionist organization in ottoman Palestine, and later designated by the League of Nations when the British took over. The Jewish agency spawned the Hagenah, a militia group for defending Jewish settlements. The Irgun was a more extreme splinter group from the Hagenah, and Lehi was a more extreme splinter Irgun.
Although Hagenah was a product of the Jewish agency, designated by the league of nations, they would be revealed to have been working with Irgun, which was classified as a terrorist organization. Haganah would also engage in offensive terrorist activities alongside Irgun and lehi after the announcement of the partition plan.
During the Arab revolt in 1936, Haganah and Irgun would tag along with the British against Palestinian rebels. After the conflict, 13,200 firearms were confiscated from the Arabs and 521 weapons from Jews Militias. This action didn't effect the Jews however, since weapons would continue to be smuggled in by organized crime figures such as Mickey Cohen, Bugsy Seigel and Meyer Lansky. This left the Palestinians outgunned when the British eventually withdraw.
In 1939 Britain Passed the White Papers, implementing strict limits on Jewish Migration to Palestine. In response, Haganah built up the Palmach, its naval wing, to illegally emigrate approximately 100,000 Jews to Palestine in over one hundred ships. The SS Patria was a ship full of Jewish regugees from Europe, set to be deported to mauritious upon lacking entry papers. To prevent the ship from leaving Palestine, Haganah operatives sank by placing a bomb near its hull killing. A similar operation had been planned for the HMS Ajax and Empire rival. Survivors of the Patria were saved by British security members and boats from Palestinian port workers. The boming was authorised by future Israeli prime minister, Moshe Sharett, who led the Political Department of the Jewish Agency in the temporary absence of David Ben-Gurion. Haganah's involvement was disclosed in 1957 from the memoirs of Munya Mardor, who planted the bomb. Though Munya claims that there was no intention to sink the ship, this is unlikely given that half a kilogram of explosives would have sufficed to damage the ship's engine. The zionists used twice that much on the border of the engine room's hull, blowing a 6 meter hole in the ship's starboard side. It is also known that Irgun had planned to hit the ship with a torpedo.
The Zionist eventually compelled the British to leave palestine through numerous terrorist attacks, including the assassination of Lord Moyne, the British Minister of State in the Middle East. That operation was plotted by future israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir. There was the Bombing the British headquarters in the King David Hotel, killing 91 people. It was the worst bombing of its time, surpassed by the Oklahoma city bombing in 1995. The attack was ordered by Manacham Begin, Israel's 6th prime minister.
They bombed the british embessy in rome, carried out the worlds first truck bombing at a british police station; and even lynched two british segents, among. When the british left, the fate of Palestine was left in the hands of the UN, who granted the Jewish Agency 43.5% of the land. Before the date of the partitian, the zionists raced to intimidate palestinians into leaving their portion of the land, in an operation devized by Haganah as plan dalet, but remembered by the Palestinians as the Nakba, or the catastrophe.
Many massacres and terrorists attacks would be carried out by Irgun, Haganah and Lehi, uncluding the Semiramis Hotel Bombing, which killed 26 people, the Saqiya Massacre carried out by Haganah, which killed 14 people; The Tantura massacre, in which 40 and 200 are rounded up, shot dead, and buried in a communal grave, now a parking lot; the Sa Sa village Massacre which killed 60.
After the IDF took the village of Saf'Saf in Galalee 50–70 villagers were killed. Evidence suggests that 52 men had their hands tied, were shot and killed, before being buried in a pit. Several women reported allegations of rape by the IDF, including the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl. At least two internal inquiries were initiated during 1948–49 by the IDF, but their reports remain classified.
The worst of the massacres happened at Deir Yassin, committed by Irgun and Lehi. A letter written by Albert Einstein delivered to the NYT reads: "This village, off the main roads, had taken no part in the war, and had even fought off Arab bands who wanted to use their village as a base. On April 9th terrorist bands attacked this peaceful village which was not a military objective in the fighting, killed most of the inhabitance, 240 men women and children, and kept a few alive to parade as captive through the streets of Jerusalem. most of the Jewish community was horrified at the deed, and the Jewish agency sent a telegram of apology to King Abdula of trans Jordan, but the terrorists were proud of this massacre, publicizing it widely, and inviting all of the foreign correspondence present in the country to view the heaped corpses and general havoc of Deir Yassin." It was at Deir Yassin where a baby was reportedly baked in an oven. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj4u5Llz_7k
Interviews by Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian with Palestinian women reveal that Rape was commonplace throughout the Nakba. According to Israeli historian Illan Pappé, “The Jewish soldiers who took part in the [Deir Yasin] massacre also reported horrific scenes: babies whose skulls were cracked open, women raped or burned alive in houses, and men stabbed to death.”
During the Palestine War with egypt, land Jordan, the UN appointed Folke Bernadotte as the UN mediator in Palestine. In September he outlined his proposal of a single union between Palestine and Jordan, with two sovereign members, one Jewish and one Arab, allowing Palestinians to return to their homes. While driving through Jeruselum, Bernadotte was assassinated by 4 Lehi operatives. Yitzhak Shamir and other Lehi leaders were jailed by the Israeli government after the assassination, but eventually pardoned.
Israel wins the Palestine War occupying 78% of Palestine, except for the parts they gave to Egypt and Jordan, later taken back during the 6 day war.
Irgun and Haganah would consolidate to become the IDF, with many former Lehi members joining its ranks. Irgun's former leader Manachen Begin would form the herut party in 48, later to become likud in 1973, Israel's leading party since.
Former terrorists in the Israeli government include: Munya Mador, who planted the bomb which sank the patria. went on to become the director general of Israeli weapons and research development; Yitzhag Sadeh, who was in charge of the operation to bomb the Patria. Went on to found the IDF with David Ben-Gurion; Yitzakh Shamir, the Lehi leader who plotted the assassination of Lord Moyne. Became Mossad's director of assassinations and Israel's 7th prime minister; Moshe Sharett; authorized Irgun's bombing of the the SS Patria. Went on to become Israel's second prime minister. David Ben-Gurion - worked with Irgun and Lehi; outlined plan Dalet; oversaw Haganah during the Nakba; Went on to become Israel's first prime minister; Menachem Begin - Irgun Leader from 1946; blew up the King David hotel; blew up the British embassy in Rome; the sergeants affair. became Israel's 6th prime minister
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