Irgun

Irgun is shorthand for Irgun Tsvai-Leumi, also spelled Irgun Zvai Leumi and means "Military-National Organization"). It branched off Haganah in Jerusalem under Avraham Tehomi in 1931. The reasons for their withdrawal was discontent with Haganah's policy of restraint when faced with Arab and British pressure. After a short independent period, Irgun re-joined the Haganah, but never integrated with it and quit once more in 1937 because of Arab riots. Irgun adopted the revisionist views of Zeev Jabotinsky.

Irgun was secretly supported from 1936 by the Polish government, who hoped that estabilishing a Jewish state would help emigration of Jews from Poland, who by that time constituted one of the poorer segments of Polish society. Irgun received guns from Poles as well as military training. In 1943 Menachem Begin, who later became Prime Minister of Israel, became its leader. Later, the Irgun was merged into the Israeli Defence Force.

Irgun terrorist attacks:

• July 22, 1946 - Irgun bombs King David Hotel in Jerusalem, headquarters of the British civil and military administration, killing 91 people (17 Jewish) (Source: [1])
• October 31, 1946 - Irgun bombs British Embassy in Rome, Italy. (Source: [2]).
• September 29, 1947 - Irgun bombs police station in Haifa, Palestine, killing four British and four Arab policemen, and two Arab civilians. (Source: [3]).
• December 29, 1947 - Irgun throws grenades into cafe in Jerusalem, Palestine, killing 11 Arabs and 2 British policemen. (Source: [4]).
• April 9, 1948 - Irgun and Palestinian soldiers clashed in the Deir Yassin incident during the battle for Israel's independence. The Irgun is alleged to have killed 254 Arab women and children during this battle. Some dispute whether a massacre of civilians actually occured.

See also

• Lehi (also known as Stern gang)
• Terrorism against Arabs
• Qibya operation

External links

• [5]
• [6]