1. Irgun
Kindal Lawson, Jessica DeRose, Kelly Rice, Leonard Forbes, Austin Carroll

2. Origins, Objectives, & Doctrines: Irgun
Kindal Lawson

3. Origins: Haganah to Irgun
1920’s: Haganah created
Defense organization, independent of government control
Under Histadrut
Union of Revisionist Zionists and Betar (youth organization)
1931: Haganah-Bet created
1937: Irgun
Against Havlaga
Split from political and ideological differences

4. Objectives & Goals: Struggle for Independence
1917: Balfour Declaration
White Papers
Independent Jewish state
Eliminate British control of Palestine

5. Doctrine: Zionism No official doctrine Zionism:
1890’s: Nathan Birnbaum
Hebrew
Homeland
Ideology of Revisionist Party and New Zionist Organization (NZO)
Right-wing
Different variants

6. Terrorists to Politicians
May 15, 1948: State of Israel established
Britain's control of Palestine was formally terminated
Violence to politics

7. Leadership Jessica DeRose Avraham Tehomi- Founders/ First commander
IRGUN COMMANDERS.
Supreme Commander 1937–1940: Ze'ev Jabotinsky
1931–1937: Avraham Tehomi
1937: Robert Bitker
1937–1938: Moshe Rosenberg
1938–1939: David Raziel
1939: Hanoch Kalai
1939: Benyamin Zeroni
1939–1941: David Raziel
1941–1943: Yaakov Meridor
1943–1948: Menachem Begin
Avraham Tehomi- Founders/ First commander
Ze’ev Jabotinsky-
Supreme Commander
Menachem Begin- Supreme Commander

8. High Command & General Staff
Network Structure:
System of units, unified ideology/objectives
-Cell structured similar to the star.
-Supreme Leader: Leader of High Command, entire military organization.
-High Command: Command Base that initiated orders and proposed policies
~General Staff: in charge of activities
~Military: divided into units military operations
~ Support: Planning, training, aid, weapons
~District Commands, each led by a commander.
Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa-Galilee, Southern, Sharon, and Shomron,

9. Splits in Leadership (Stern Gang Creation)
2nd Split from Irgun in 1940
Continue WWII conflicts with Britain
Objective: to allow Jewish refugees a place in Palestine however the British were against this.
Irgun’s peace with Britain
Stern’s split with Irgun
Lehi or Stern Gang
Zionist Paramilitary Organization, Palestine
1st Split 1937
2,000+ members returned to Haganah
Creation of Irgun
Leadership is stable, Membership is flux.
Avraham Stern.

10. Begin’s Leadership & Core Structure
Under Begin’s leadership
Wants British out of Palestine
Zionist
Followed under Jabotinsky
Quick rise to power. Well respected
Begin ordered most Irgun operations
The Revolt (Zionist Movement)
Series of bombings, with Lehi
After the establishment in 1948 of the State of Israel, Irgun disbanded.

11. Transition to politics
From Terrorist Group to Political Party
Violence to a democratic strategy
1977 Begin was elected as Prime Minister of Israel.
Awarded a Nobel Peace PRize in 1978, being recognized for creating peace with Egypt.
1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, President Carter, and Israeli Prime Minister Begin

12. Irgun: Finances, Recruitment, Governmental and Non-governmental Support

13. Finances Civilian Committees: Polish Government: Member Support:
Maintained contact with communities and national institutions
Focused on accumulating monies to purchase weapons
Polish Government:
Allowed Irgun to purchase and sell weapons to fund their cause
Member Support:
Irgun members pooled their own personal resources as well

14. Recruitment
Appealed to disenfranchised youth by promoting the use of terrorism to achieve their goals
Had many young members of Beitar and Maccabi because Irgun’s ideology included elements of Revisionist
Posted flyers in Jewish neighborhoods which stated, “To the Hebrew Nation in Zion”
Approved of attacking strictly non-military targets which appealed to target audience

15. Governmental and Non-governmental support
Ties to other groups:
Haganah, Beitar, Lehi, and New Zionist Organization (NZO)
All shared same vices as Irgun
Hebrew Committee of National Liberation (in U.S.)
Collected money for the Zionist movement on behalf of Irgun
U.S. 78th Congress
Voted for Zionist support and creation of a Jewish commonwealth
World Leaders’ support
Dr. Israel Lifschitz – South African revisionist
Visited London and made home visits to fundraise for Irgun
Dr. Shumel Ariel – Head of Irgun’s French office
Negotiated a deal with France for their support

16. Irgun’s Success Created a Jewish State; Used terrorism which worked Disbanded in the 1940s because Jewish-Israel statehood was achieved

17. Strategy, Methods, & Targets
Kelly Ann Rice

18. Strategy Before WWII; “inactive” Operations resumed after WWII
Strategically strike the British
Provoke a response
Weaken British authority
Symbols of oppression and rule
International attention
Sympathizers
Repression of the Jewish community
British indifference
· Irgun could not defeat the British Army on a traditional battlefield, so they turned to terrorism and violence as a means to push the British out of Palestine
· Begin wanted to strategically strike the British in a way that would make them look weak and to provoke a response from them, which would make life of the Jewish community harder and the situation in Palestine even more intolerable.
· Irgun attacked symbols and establishments that represented British imperial rule and oppression in Palestine to weaken their authority
· Wanted to gain international attention, had an outreach strategy. Irgun wanted to gain sympathizers, like British citizens, and especially the United States since they broke away from the British and were a colony before they gained their own independence. An international audience was needed to witness what was happening in Palestine.
· Repressive measures used by the British would be opposed in the eyes of their anti-imperialist allies, it would be viewed that the British are indifferent to the continued torment of the Jewish people with all that happened in WWII.

19. Method of Operations Bombs and explosive devices
Firearms occasionally
Psychological effect v. success in number of casualties
Moral superiority
Outreach strategy
Night operations
· There’s no absolute method of operations, but the Irgun attacked mainly through the use of bombs and explosive devices. They did use weapons such as firearms during some of the attacks, the Irgun rarely strayed from the use of explosives.
· To help with their outreach strategy, they wanted to show they had morals, so they tried to avoid loss of life in the various attacks they maneuvered.
· Many operations carried out at night, when people were less likely to be on the streets or in buildings.

20. Targets and Attacks Establishments that signified imperial rule
Immigration department offices in the three major cities (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa) February 1944
The three major cities and Jaffa were attacked at their CIDs - March 1944
Jerusalem’s King David Hotel - July 22, 1946
91 people killed; 45 injured
Hanging of the British soldiers - July 30, 1947
· Attack on the immigration department offices was a statement against White Paper’s immigration policy against Jews, attacks occurred at night when no one was around, people were not likely to be out on the streets. They were deliberately avoiding needless bloodshed to show their moral superiority.
· King David Hotel, 91 people were killed and 45 people were injured. Though there were casualties, the target was the headquarters of the British military in Palestine that was located in the hotel
· British Hangings: two soldiers were hanged in retaliation to the three Irgun members that were hung the previous day. This event is important, it was deemed the final step for the Irgun in regards to pushing the British out of Palestine, because so many people were appalled and it made people realize how futile and vain it was for the British to continue to rule and try to control Palestine.

21. Were the Irgun successful?
Israel became an independent state on May 14, 1948.
· A big question that people ask is whether or not terrorist groups are successful, the Irgun were. The British committed troops and fought against the Irgun, but could not overpower them.
· Their strategy of attrition, selective targets, and methods of operations ultimately resulted in their success; the formation of Israel. Their goal was to free themselves from British rule, and create a state of Israel, and they did.

22. British Counterterrorism Against the Irgun in Palestine
Austin Carroll

23. Policy Issues Publication of White Papers Empire’s Will?
Strategic Importance of Palestine

24. Sir Alan Cunningham Created Initial COIN Strategies
Conventional Small Wars Tactics
Enemy Organizational Capabilities?

25. COIN “The Season”- Haganah Cooperation
Defensive posture created by Irgun, Lehi, and Haganah attacks
Ground Commanders seek tangible victory
Operation Shark- Response to King David Hotel
Operation Octopus- Intel Raid, International Campaign
Operation Agatha- Consolidation of Force from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt

26. No Clear Path for Creating Law and Order Will of Jewish People
COIN Analysis
No Clear Path for Creating Law and Order
Will of Jewish People