Editing Irgun (section)

===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>