"Blood in Zion: How the Jewish Guerrillas Drove ..." Topic

…the British Out of Palestine.

"During the 1940s, the Irgun Zvai Leumi (IZL) launched an intensive guerrilla campaign against the British Mandate authorities in Palestine. Its members embarked on a struggle not conducted in modern times by any Jewish organization. They blew up buildings, they sabotaged roads and bridges, they killed and maimed soldiers, they raided military bases, they robbed banks and they attacked strategic targets all over the country and abroad. By so doing, they endangered the very community on whose behalf they claimed to fight and placed themselves against the consensus represented by the official leadership"
Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

This is why a number of British people have less sympathy for Israel's complaints about Palestinian terrorists than other nations have. My father, who was still in the RAF in the late 40s after his war service, always said that the Palestinians learnt a lot from the Israelis. Before anyone starts to complain, I am not anti-Semitic, I have a number of Jewish friends, but facts are facts – Israel was founded on terrorism.

My Grandad was wounded in the hands while driving an escort for an ambulance carrying wounded Palestinian Policemen. King's Regiment, 1948.

Like the rest of the little wars at the end of the Empire, between the end of WW2 and the 1960s, terrorist and guerrilla activity contributed to economic and political pressure back in London to wind things down and withdraw from the various possessions.

So, yes, the modern state of Israel was founded on armed terrorist action. We rather seem to have forgotten things like the King David Hotel.

The King David Hotel attack was the single biggest loss of British life to a terrorist attack until the 11/09/2001 attack in New York.Yet, we appear to conveniently forget that fact and concentrate on hearing only the Israeli side of the Palestine conflict today.

This is why a number of British people have less sympathy for Israel's complaints about Palestinian terrorists than other nations have.

I don't think some realize this. And it is very understandable. However, very sad … for all parties involved.

The hanging of British soldiers over buried landmines was a particularly heinous activity……both grandfathers served in Palestine, one in the Thirties with the army, the other in the Palestine Police at Jenin. They did not have good words for the nationalists of either side…….

"Guerillas"? Don't we call this sort "Terrorists"?

So, yes, the modern state of Israel was founded on armed terrorist action.

It is a bit more complicated than that. Jewish terrorist groups were two, an both relatively small: Irgun and Stern Group. Both were exceedingly violent and brutal. Palmach, on the other hand, didn't engage in terrorist action, although quite a few of its members and political leadership were ambivalent at actually doing something to stop Irgun's or Stern's terrorism and co-operate with the British occupation forces. It is probable that at least a part of Palmach's leadership thought that Irgun's terrorists were an asset, as they could be manipulated to attack the British while maintaining plausible deniability for the Palmach. If that was the case, it was never an official policy; Jewish main position was to condemn Irgun's and Stern's terrorists and, in theory, co-operate with British authorities.

On the other hand, it is debatable that it was terrorism what tip the British over the edge and decided London to leave Palestine. It is doubtful that in the context of the late 40s any British government, even without terrorism, could have sustained her presence in Palestine for long. International pressure would have forced them out, even without sectarian violence.

And yet, many British aided and fought with Israel. Orde Wingate is probably the most famous example, setting up a joint Israeli-British counter-terrorist unit and recruiting and training Moshe Dayan.

When the Egyptians shot up an RAF air base, the RAF retaliated by shooting down Egyptian aircraft- and in the process providing vital relief for the Israelis, who were still trying to form up an air force at the time.

Perhaps, whenever one side shot at Brits, it motivated some to side with the other side. Understandable.