Editing Irgun (section)

==During World War II==
Following the outbreak of war, Ze'ev Jabotinsky and the [[New Zionist Organization]] voiced their support for Britain and France. In mid-September 1939 Raziel was moved from his place of detention in [[Tzrifin]]. This, among other events, encouraged the Irgun to announce a cessation of its activities against the British so as not to hinder Britain's effort to fight "the Hebrew's greatest enemy in the world – German [[Nazism]]". This announcement ended with the hope that after the war a Hebrew state would be founded "within the historical borders of the liberated homeland". After this announcement Irgun, Betar and Hatzohar members, including Raziel and the Irgun leadership, were gradually released from detention. The Irgun did not rule out joining the British army and the [[Jewish Brigade]]. Irgun members did enlist in various British units. Irgun members also assisted British forces with intelligence in [[Romania]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Morocco]] and [[Tunisia]]. An Irgun unit also operated in [[Syria]] and [[Lebanon]]. David Raziel later died during one of these operations.

During the [[The Holocaust|Holocaust]], Betar members revolted numerous times against the Nazis in [[occupied Europe]]. The largest of these revolts was the [[Warsaw Ghetto Uprising]], in which an armed underground organization fought, formed by Betar and Hatzoar and known as the ''[[Jewish Military Union (League)|Żydowski Związek Wojskowy]] (ŻZW)'' (Jewish Military Union). Despite its political origins, the ŻZW accepted members without regard to political affiliation, and had contacts established before the war with elements of the Polish military. Because of differences over objectives and strategy, the ŻZW was unable to form a common front with the mainstream ghetto fighters of the [[Jewish Combat Organization|Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa]], and fought independently under the military leadership of [[Paweł Frenkiel]] and the political leadership of [[Dawid Wdowiński]].<ref>See Chaim Lazar, ''Matsada shel Varsha'' (Tel Aviv: Machon Jabotinsky, 1963), David Wdowiński, (1963), ''And we are not saved.'' New York: Philosophical Library. p. 222. {{ISBN|0-8022-2486-5}}. Note: Chariton and Lazar were never co-authors of Wdowiński's memoir. Wdowiński is considered the "single author." For an assessment of the various claims and counterclaims about the ŻZW, particularly the extent of Polish participation in the battle, see ariusz Libionka and Lawrence Weinbaum, Bohaterowie, Hochsztaplerzy, Opisywacze, Wokol Żydowskiego Związku Wojskowego(Warsaw: Stowarzyszenie Centrum Badań nad Zaglada Żydów) [Heroes, Hucksters, and Storytellers: On the Jewish Military Union (ŻZW)], 2011. --~~~~gspaulsson 16Aug2014</ref>

There were instances of Betar members enlisted in the British military smuggling British weapons to the Irgun.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

From 1939 onwards, an Irgun delegation in the United States worked for the creation of a Jewish army made up of Jewish refugees and Jews from Palestine, to fight alongside the [[Allies of World War II|Allied Forces]]. In July 1943 the "Emergency Committee to Save the Jewish People in Europe" was formed, and worked until the end of the war to rescue the [[Jews of Europe]] from the Nazis and to garner public support for a Jewish state. However, it was not until January 1944 that [[US President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin Roosevelt]] established the [[War Refugee Board]], which achieved some success in saving European Jews.

===Second split===
[[File:Avraham Stern.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Avraham Stern|Avraham (Yair) Stern]]]]
Throughout this entire period, the British continued enforcing the [[White Paper of 1939|White Paper]]'s provisions, which included a ban on the sale of land, restrictions on Jewish immigration and increased vigilance against illegal immigration. Part of the reason why the British banned land sales (to anyone) was the confused state of the post Ottoman land registry; it was difficult to determine who actually owned the land that was for sale.

Within the ranks of the Irgun this created much disappointment and unrest, at the center of which was disagreement with the leadership of the [[New Zionist Organization]], David Raziel and the Irgun Headquarters. On June 18, 1939, Avraham (Yair) Stern and others of the leadership were released from prison and a rift opened between them the Irgun and Hatzohar leadership. The controversy centred on the issues of the underground movement submitting to public political leadership and fighting the British. On his release from prison Raziel resigned from Headquarters. To his chagrin, independent operations of senior members of the Irgun were carried out and some commanders even doubted Raziel's loyalty.

In his place, Stern was elected to the leadership. In the past, Stern had founded secret Irgun cells in Poland without Jabotinsky's knowledge, in opposition to his wishes. Furthermore, Stern was in favor of removing the Irgun from the authority of the New Zionist Organization, whose leadership urged Raziel to return to the command of the Irgun. He finally consented. Jabotinsky wrote to Raziel and to Stern, and these letters were distributed to the branches of the Irgun:

<blockquote>... I call upon you: Let nothing disturb our unity. Listen to the commissioner (Raziel), whom I trust, and promise me that you and [[Betar]], the greatest of my life's achievements, will stand strong and united and allow me to continue with the hope for victory in the war to realize our old [[Maccabees|Maccabean]] dream....</blockquote>

Stern was sent a telegram with an order to obey Raziel, who was reappointed. However, these events did not prevent the splitting of the organization. Suspicion and distrust were rampant among the members. Out of the Irgun a new organization was created on July 17, 1940,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.etzel.org.il/english/ac05.htm |title=The Split Within The Irgun |publisher=Etzel.org.il |access-date=2013-08-12 |archive-date=2013-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925234908/http://www.etzel.org.il/english/ac05.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> which was first named "The National Military Organization in Israel" (as opposed to the "National Military Organization in '''the Land of''' Israel") and later on changed its name to [[Lehi (group)|Lehi]], an acronym for '''Lohamei Herut Israel''', "Fighters for the Freedom of Israel", (לח"י – לוחמי חירות ישראל). Jabotinsky died in [[New York (state)|New York]] on August 4, 1940, yet this did not prevent the Lehi split. Following Jabotinsky's death, ties were formed between the Irgun and the [[New Zionist Organization]]. These ties would last until 1944, when the Irgun declared a revolt against the British.

The primary difference between the Irgun and the newly formed organization was its intention to fight the British in Palestine, regardless of their war against Germany. Later, additional operational and ideological differences developed that contradicted some of the Irgun's guiding principles. For example, the Lehi, unlike the Irgun, supported a [[population exchange]] with local Arabs.

===Change of policy===
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="width:22em; font-size:88%"
! style="background: lavender; font-size:120%;" | The Irgun's Anthem<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.betar.org.il/en/content/view/9/6/ |title=World Zionist youth movement - Shir |publisher=Betar |access-date=2013-08-12 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092944/http://www.betar.org.il/en/content/view/9/6/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|
Tagar -<br/>
Through all obstacles and enemies<br/>
Whether you go up or down<br/>
In the flames of revolt<br/>
Carry a flame to kindle – never mind!<br/>
For silence is filth<br/>
Worthless is blood and soul<br/>
For the sake of the hidden glory

To die or to conquer the hill -<br/>
Yodefet, Masada, Betar.
|}
The split damaged the Irgun both organizationally and from a morale point of view. As their spiritual leader, Jabotinsky's death also added to this feeling. Together, these factors brought about a mass abandonment by members. The British took advantage of this weakness to gather intelligence and arrest Irgun activists. The new Irgun leadership, which included Meridor, Yerachmiel Ha'Levi, [[Moshe Zvi Segal (Rabbi)|Rabbi Moshe Zvi Segal]] and others used the forced hiatus in activity to rebuild the injured organization. This period was also marked by more cooperation between the Irgun and the Jewish Agency, however [[David Ben-Gurion]]'s uncompromising demand that Irgun accept the Agency's command foiled any further cooperation.

In both the Irgun and the Haganah more voices were being heard opposing any cooperation with the British. Nevertheless, an Irgun operation carried out in the service of Britain was aimed at sabotaging pro-Nazi forces in [[Iraq]], including the assassination of [[Haj Amin al-Husayni]]. Among others, Raziel and [[Yaakov Meridor]] participated. On April 20, 1941, during a [[Luftwaffe]] air raid on [[RAF Habbaniya]] near [[Baghdad]], David Raziel, commander of the Irgun, was killed during the operation.

In late 1943 a joint Haganah – Irgun initiative was developed, to form a single fighting body, unaligned with any political party, by the name of עם לוחם (''Fighting Nation'').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.palmach.org.il/|title=דף הבית|website=www.palmach.org.il|access-date=2007-04-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830212132/http://www.palmach.org.il/|archive-date=2012-08-30|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fromoccupiedpalestine.org/node/1146 |title=Reflections on the assassination of Sheikh Yassin |publisher=Fromoccupiedpalestine.org}}</ref> The new body's first plan was to kidnap the British High Commissioner of Palestine, [[Harold MacMichael|Sir Harold MacMichael]] and take him to [[Cyprus]]. However, the Haganah leaked the planned operation and it was thwarted before it got off the ground. Nevertheless, at this stage the Irgun ceased its cooperation with the British. As [[Eliyahu Lankin]] tells in his book:

<blockquote>Immediately following the failure of ''Fighting Nation'' practical discussions began in the Irgun Headquarters regarding a declaration of war.</blockquote>