The emergence of organized violence
The history of Zionist gangs in Palestine under the British Mandate until the establishment of the Israeli occupation state
The history of Zionist gangs in Palestine under the British Mandate represents a bloody and controversial chapter in the region's history. Understanding the origins of these terrorist groups, their goals, their methods of operation, and their connection to the establishment of the occupying Israeli state is essential to understanding the roots of the Israeli occupation that continues to this day
The period of the British Mandate over Palestine (1920-1948) witnessed a steady escalation in organized violence perpetrated by armed Zionist groups, which evolved from rudimentary defensive organizations into paramilitary gangs that played a pivotal role in the establishment of the occupying state of Israel in 1948. These groups, which emerged in the context of increasing Jewish immigration to Palestine as part of the Zionist movement's quest to establish a national homeland for the Jews in Palestine, viewed violence as a necessary tool to achieve this goal in the face of the Palestinian Arab presence and the restrictions imposed by the British Mandate authorities. As tensions with the Palestinian Arab population escalated, they adopted increasingly violent combat tactics and carried out terrorist operations and heinous crimes against Palestinian civilians to achieve their political objectives
Early Beginnings: Hashomer and the Haganah
The roots of Zionist organized violence date back to the early 20th century with the founding of Hashomer (Guardian) in 1909. In 1920, the Haganah (Defense) was founded as the covert military arm of the Histadrut (General Federation of Jewish Workers in Palestine). Initially, the Haganah was primarily a defensive force, intended to protect Jewish communities from Arab attacks. However, it gradually evolved into a more organized and trained paramilitary force, carrying out terrorist operations against Palestinians
A historical introduction to the origins of the Zionist fighters
The roots of Zionist armed organizations go back to the beginnings of modern Jewish settlement in Palestine. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with the increasing number of Jewish immigrants from Europe, there was a need for organizations to defend the emerging agricultural settlements against attacks by bandits and Arab gangs
Hashomer (the guard)
Founded in 1909, it was Palestine's first organized Jewish defense organization. It relied on a network of trained guards to protect agricultural settlements. (Lapidot, 2012) Hashomer was a small, unofficial defensive force tasked with guarding early Jewish settlements and protecting agrarian lands from attacks by Bedouins and Palestinian Arabs. As tensions increased and settlements expanded, the need for a more centralized national defense force emerged
Haganah (defense)
Founded in 1920 as a more centralized, underground defense force, it emerged from Hashomer and other smaller organizations. Initially intended to defend Jewish property and lives, it gradually evolved into a more sophisticated paramilitary force (Shalev, 2004)
As violence and unrest escalated in Palestine during the Mandate period, the Zionist movement became divided over the nature of its response to security and political challenges. More hardline factions emerged, criticizing the Haganah's "self-defense" policy and calling for a more offensive strategy
The Rise of Zionist Extremism and Terrorism: Irgun and Lehi
In the 1930s and 1940s, more extreme Zionist groups emerged that broke away from the Haganah, adopting a more aggressive ideology and calling for the direct use of violence against the British and Palestinians to achieve the goals of the Zionist movement
Irgun (National Military Organization)
Founded in 1931, it was known simply as "Irgun". It split from the Haganah in the mid-1930s over disagreements over policy on responding to Arab attacks. The Irgun espoused an extreme nationalist ideology and advocated the use of terror against British and Palestinian civilian and military targets, viewing violence as the most effective means of achieving independence and establishing a Jewish state in all of historic Palestine. Its most prominent leaders included prominent figures such as Ze'ev Jabotinsky. And Menachem Begin
Lehi (Israel Freedom Fighters - Stern Gang )
A smaller, more extreme group was known by the acronym "Lehi" or " Stern Gang " after its founder, Avraham. Stern. Lehi was a secret organization that espoused a revolutionary ideology. It called for armed struggle against the British until their expulsion from Palestine, regardless of the official Zionist movement's position. Lehi carried out numerous terrorist operations, assassinations, and bombings against British and Palestinian targets. It targeted British and Arab officials. (Heller, 1995)
The most important historical events
The British Mandate period witnessed many events that shaped the development and activity of the Zionist gangs
Buraq Revolution (1929)
Clashes between Palestinians and Jews around the Western Wall in Jerusalem led to a wave of violence throughout Palestine, reinforcing the need for stronger Jewish defense organizations . ( Segev , 1998)
The Great Palestinian Revolution (1936-1939)
It was a large-scale uprising against British rule and Jewish immigration. The Haganah responded with limited cooperation with the British authorities in suppressing the revolt, while the Irgun carried out retaliatory terrorist operations against Palestinian and Arab civilians . ( Khalidi , 1997)
World War II (1939-1945)
Thousands of Haganah youth volunteered to serve in the British army. In contrast, the Irgun and Lehi carried out operations against British interests in Palestine after the war, believing that Britain was obstructing the achievement of the Zionist movement's goals . (Sachar, 2006)
Partition Resolution (1947)
The United Nations recommended partitioning Palestine into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. The Zionist leadership reluctantly accepted the resolution, while the Palestinians and Arab states rejected it. The resolution led to an escalation of violence between the two sides . (Morris, 2008)
1948 War (Israeli War of Independence / Palestinian Nakba)
Full-scale fighting erupted after the declaration of the establishment of the Israeli occupation state in May 1948. Zionist gangs, most of which were later integrated into the Israeli occupation army, played a decisive role in the fighting and the seizure of large areas of Palestinian land . ( Pappé , 2006)
Massacres committed against Palestinians
During the Mandate period and the 1948 war, Zionist gangs committed numerous terrorist massacres against Palestinian civilians. These events left deep scars on Palestinian memory and significantly influenced the course of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The most notable of these massacres include
King David Hotel bombing (1946)
The
Irgun bombed the southern wing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, which
housed British administration offices and security forces. The bombing resulted
in the deaths of dozens of Britons, Arabs, and Jews
Assassination of Lord Moyne (1944)
Lehi assassinated Lord Moyne , the British Minister Resident in the Middle East, in Cairo
Deir Yassin massacre (April 1948)
Forces from the Irgun and Lehi attacked the village of Deir Yassin, near Jerusalem, and killed an estimated 100 to 250 Palestinian civilians, including women, children, and the elderly. This massacre spread terror among the Palestinians and contributed to a massive exodus (Milstein, 2004)
Lydda and Ramla massacre (July 1948)
During Operation Danny, Israeli forces expelled tens of thousands of residents of the cities of Lod and Ramla. Zionist gangs carried out several mass field executions against Palestinian civilians after capturing the two cities. (Morris, 2004)
Al-Dawayima massacre (October 1948)
During Operation Yoav, Israeli soldiers allegedly killed dozens of Palestinian civilians in the village of Al-Dawayima in the Hebron area . ( Masalha , 2003)
There are other accounts and reports of mass killings and ethnic cleansing carried out by Zionist gangs during the 1948 war, but the extent and details of these events remain a subject of debate and controversy among historians
Palestinian villages that were attacked
During the 1948 war, Zionist gangs launched a
brutal, widespread terrorist campaign targeting Palestinian villages and towns.
The goal of these attacks was often to terrorize the Palestinian population and
force them to flee, as well as to secure the captured areas. It is estimated
that more than 400 Palestinian villages and towns were destroyed or captured
during this period ( Khalidi , 1992)
Among the Palestinian villages that were attacked, destroyed, or had their residents forcibly displaced
Jaffa and its suburbs : The city and many of its surrounding villages were subjected to intense attacks before and during the 1948 war, resulting in the displacement of most of its Arab population
Galilee region
Many villages in the eastern and western Galilee witnessed military operations that led to their destruction and the displacement of their inhabitants
Palestinian coast
Many coastal villages were captured, destroyed, or their inhabitants displaced, such as Tantura and Al-Zib
Jerusalem area
Villages around Jerusalem were attacked, including Deir Yassin and Qastal
Lod and Ramla
The two cities were captured and most of their Arab inhabitants were displaced
The role of violence in the establishment of the State of Israel
Zionist
gangs played a pivotal role in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and in the
establishment of the Israeli occupation state. The military operations carried
out by these gangs contributed to weakening the Palestinian forces and
spreading terror among civilians, leading to the displacement of large numbers
of them. These groups also pressured the British Mandate authorities and
contributed to accelerating Britain's decision to withdraw from Palestine
After
the establishment of the Israeli occupation state in 1948, most members of the
Haganah were incorporated into the nascent Israeli army. The Irgun and Lehi
were officially disbanded, although some of their members continued to play
important roles in Israeli political and military life