Editing Irgun (section)

===The Sergeants affair===
{{Main|The Sergeants affair}}
[[File:British sergeants kidnapped and hanged by the Irgun, 1947.jpg|thumb|Two British sergeants hanged by the Irgun]]

After the death sentences of the three were confirmed, the Irgun tried to save them by kidnapping [[hostage]]s{{snd}}British sergeants Clifford Martin and Mervyn Paice{{snd}}in the streets of [[Netanya]]. British forces closed off and combed the area in search of the two, but did not find them. On July 29, 1947, in the afternoon, Meir Nakar, Avshalom Haviv, and Yaakov Weiss were executed. Approximately thirteen hours later the hostages were hanged in retaliation by the Irgun and their bodies, booby-trapped with an explosive, afterwards strung up from trees in woodlands south of Netanya. This action caused an outcry in Britain and was condemned both there and by Jewish leaders in Palestine.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,887512,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712123116/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,887512,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 12, 2007 |title=Eye for an Eye for an Eye|magazine=Time |date=1947-08-11 |access-date=2013-08-12}}</ref>

This episode has been given{{by whom?|date=May 2024}} as a major influence on the British decision to terminate the Mandate and leave Palestine. The [[United Nations Special Committee on Palestine|United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP)]] was also influenced by this and other actions. At the same time another incident was developing – the events of the ship [[Exodus (ship)|''Exodus 1947'']]. The 4,500 Holocaust survivors on board were not allowed to enter Palestine. UNSCOP also covered the events. Some of its members were even present at [[Haifa]] port when the putative immigrants were forcefully removed from their ship (later found to have been rigged with an IED by some of its passengers) onto the deportation ships, and later commented that this strong image helped them press for an immediate solution for Jewish immigration and the question of Palestine.

Two weeks later, the House of Commons convened for a special debate on events in Palestine, and concluded that their soldiers should be withdrawn as soon as possible.