The Irgun Zvai Leumi, commonly known as the Irgun, was a right-wing Zionist paramilitary organisation that operated in Palestine from 1931 to 1948. Its actions were pivotal in the establishment of the State of Israel. One of the most significant and controversial operations conducted by the Irgun was the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem on 22 July 1946.
The Irgun: Origins and ideology
The Irgun was founded as an offshoot of the Haganah, the main Jewish paramilitary organisation at the time. Dissatisfied with the Haganah’s policy of restraint in the face of Arab violence and British mandate policies, the Irgun adopted a more militant and aggressive approach. Its primary goal was to end British rule in Palestine and to establish a Jewish state.
Led by Menachem Begin, who would later become the Prime Minister of Israel, the Irgun engaged in various acts of armed resistance, including bombings, assassinations, and attacks on British military and administrative targets. The organisation justified its actions as a necessary response to British restrictions on Jewish immigration and land acquisition, as well as Arab attacks on Jewish communities.
The King David Hotel bombing: Planning and execution
The King David Hotel in Jerusalem was the headquarters of the British administrative and military authorities in Palestine. It was a symbol of British colonial power and a strategic target for the Irgun. The plan to bomb the hotel was conceived as part of a broader campaign against British rule, known as the “Jewish Resistance Movement,” which also involved other Jewish militant groups like the Haganah and the Lehi.
On 22 July 1946, Irgun operatives, disguised as Arab workers, planted milk churns filled with explosives in the basement of the hotel, which housed the British administrative offices. A warning call was made to the hotel, the French consulate, and the Palestine Post. It remains disputed whether the warnings were heeded or adequately acted upon by the British authorities.
At 12.37pm, the explosives detonated, causing a massive explosion that brought down a significant portion of the southern wing of the hotel. The blast killed 91 people, including 28 British, 41 Arabs, 17 Jews, and five others. It was one of the deadliest attacks carried out by Jewish militants during the British mandate period.
Aftermath
The bombing of the King David Hotel was met with widespread condemnation. The British authorities decried it as an act of terrorism and intensified their efforts to suppress Jewish militant activities. Within the Jewish community, reactions were mixed. While some viewed the attack as a necessary act of resistance against an oppressive regime, others condemned it for the loss of innocent lives.
The incident strained relations between different Jewish factions, particularly between the Irgun and the Haganah. The Jewish Agency, the main representative body of the Jewish community in Palestine, publicly condemned the bombing, fearing it would undermine their efforts to gain international support for the Zionist cause.
Historical significance
The bombing of the King David Hotel marked a turning point in the struggle for Jewish independence. It demonstrated the lengths the Irgun was willing to go to achieve its objectives and underscored the increasing militancy of the Jewish resistance movement. The attack, along with other Irgun operations, contributed to the eventual withdrawal of British forces from Palestine and the subsequent establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
In the broader context, the bombing highlighted the complex dynamics of colonial rule, nationalist movements, and the use of violence as a political tool. It remains a subject of debate among historians and scholars, raising questions about the ethics and efficacy of terrorism and armed resistance in the pursuit of political goals.
The Irgun’s bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem remains one of the most controversial and significant events in the history of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
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