Irgun

Irgun   (Terrorists, Assassins, Army)
Formation	1931
Extinction	11 June 1948

The Irgun, "The National Military Organization in the Land of Israel", was a Zionist paramilitary organization that operated in Mandate Palestine and then Israel between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the older and larger Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah.

Activities

The Irgun has been viewed as a terrorist organization or organization which carried out terrorist acts.

• Al-Quds massacre, December 1937: Member of the Irgun hurled a hand grenade at the marketplace near al-Quds mosque, killing and injuring dozens.
• Haifa massacre, March 1938: Members of the Irgun and Lehi gang throw grenades at Haifa market, killing 18, and injuring 38.
• Haifa massacre, July 1938: The Irgun explodes booby trapped vehicles in Haifa market, killing 21 and injuring 52.
• Balad El-Sheik Village Attack, June 1939: This Palestinian village was attacked by members of the Haganah, the Main Jewish Defense. Five villagers were kidnapped and murdered.
• King David Hotel Bombing, July 1946: Led by Menachem Begin, the Irgun planned and carried out the bombing of the King David Hotel, the British military headquarters in Jerusalem in July 1946 in order to destroy documents proving the terrorist campaigns of Zionist groups. The attack killed 28 Britons, 17 Jews, 41 Palestinians and 5 others for a total of 91 victims.
• Attack on the British Officers’ Club at Goldschmidt House, March 1947: This Jerusalem attack killed 17 British military and intelligence officers.
• Kidnapping and murder of British Soldiers, July 1947: This attack which led to the murder of two British sergeants in Netanya wasthestrawthatbrokethecamel’sback.Very soon afterward, the British abandoned the British Mandate, turning Palestine over to the UN.
• Bombing of the Jerusalem Railway Station, October 1947: The Irgun bombed the Jerusalem Railway Station in addition to mining roads and attacking army vehicles

 

Related Documents

Title	Type	Publication date	Author(s)	Description
Document:Jewish terrorism in UN-mandate Palestine 1945-48	report	1 October 1948	Various contributors	Timeline-type list of Jewish violence in 'UN-Mandate Palestine' from 1945 to 1948 inclusive.
File:Jewish Terrorism under the British Mandate.pdf	factsheet	2006	CJPME	Information about specifically Jewish acts of terrorism against British military, police and civilian personnel in the years between the end of World War II and the establishment of the state of Israel

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