The Jewish Resistance Movement
At the end of World
War II, when it became clear that the British government had no
intention of altering its Anti-Zionist policy, the yishuv organized
the Jewish Resistance Movement, which was run by the
Haganah in cooperation with Etzel and Lehi.
The movement carried out its first operation on October
1945, when a Palmach unit
attacked the Atlit internment
camp and liberated the 208 “illegal” immigrants held there.
In November 1945, the Movement showed its strength by launching a major
attack on railroads all over the country and sinking several coastal
patrol launches. In the following months, the Movement carried out attacks
upon British police posts, coast guard stations, radar installations
and air-fields.
In June 1946, the Jewish Resistance Movement blew
up the bridges linking Palestine with neighboring states. The British
authorities reacted to this attack on June 29, 1946 (“Black Saturday”),
by arresting the members of the Jewish Agency Executive. Military forces
conducted searches for arms caches in the settlements and thousands
of people were arrested. The Jewish Agency ordered a halt in the armed
operations against the British, but Etzel and Lehi refused to comply.
In July 1946, Etzel blew up
the central government offices at the King
David Hotel in Jerusalem. 80 people were killed — government
officials and civilians, Britons, Jews and Arabs. After this operation,
condemned outright by the Jewish Agency and by the
Haganah, the Jewish Resistance Movement ceased to exist.
Sources: Joint
Authority for Jewish Zionist Education |