Editing Irgun (section)

===Founding===
The Irgun's first steps were in the aftermath of the [[1929 Palestine riots|Riots of 1929]]. In the [[Jerusalem]] branch of the Haganah there were feelings of disappointment and internal unrest towards the leadership of the movements and the [[Histadrut]] (at that time the organization running the Haganah). These feelings were a result of the view that the Haganah was not adequately defending Jewish interests in the region. Likewise, critics of the leadership spoke out against alleged failures in the number of weapons, readiness of the movement and its policy of restraint and not fighting back. On April 10, 1931, commanders and equipment managers announced that they refused to return weapons to the Haganah that had been issued to them earlier, prior to the [[Nebi Musa]] holiday. These weapons were later returned by the commander of the Jerusalem branch, [[Avraham Tehomi]], a.k.a. "Gideon". However, the commanders who decided to rebel against the leadership of the Haganah relayed a message regarding their resignations to the [[Vaad Leumi]], and thus this schism created a new independent movement.

The leader of the new underground movement was [[Avraham Tehomi]], alongside other founding members who were all senior commanders in the Haganah, members of [[Hapoel Hatzair]] and of the Histadrut. Also among them was [[Eliyahu Ben Horin]], an activist in the [[Revisionist Zionism|Revisionist Party]]. This group was known as the "Odessan Gang", because they previously had been members of the ''Haganah Ha'Atzmit'' of Jewish [[Odessa]]. The new movement was named ''Irgun Tsvai Leumi'', ("National Military Organization") in order to emphasize its active nature in contrast to the Haganah. Moreover, the organization was founded with the desire to become a true military organization and not just a [[militia]] as the Haganah was at the time.

In the autumn of that year the Jerusalem group merged with other armed groups affiliated with [[Betar]]. The Betar groups' center of activity was in [[Tel Aviv]], and they began their activity in 1928 with the establishment of "Officers and Instructors School of Betar". Students at this institution had broken away from the Haganah earlier, for political reasons, and the new group called itself the "National Defense", הגנה הלאומית. During the riots of 1929 Betar youth participated in the defense of Tel Aviv neighborhoods under the command of Yermiyahu Halperin, at the behest of the Tel Aviv city hall. After the riots the Tel Avivian group expanded, and was known as "The [[Right Wing]] Organization".

After the Tel Aviv expansion another branch was established in [[Haifa]]. Towards the end of 1932 the Haganah branch of [[Safed]] also defected and joined the Irgun, as well as many members of the [[Maccabi World Union|Maccabi]] sports association. At that time the movement's underground newsletter, ''Ha'Metsudah'' (the Fortress) also began publication, expressing the active trend of the movement. The Irgun also increased its numbers by expanding draft regiments of Betar – groups of volunteers, committed to two years of security and pioneer activities. These regiments were based in places that from which stemmed new Irgun strongholds in the many places, including the settlements of [[Yesod HaMa'ala]], [[Mishmar HaYarden]], [[Rosh Pinna|Rosh Pina]], [[Metula]] and [[Nahariya]] in the north; in the center – [[Hadera]], [[Binyamina]], [[Herzliya]], [[Netanya]] and [[Kfar Saba]], and south of there – [[Rishon LeZion]], [[Rehovot]] and [[Ness Ziona]]. Later on regiments were also active in the [[Old City of Jerusalem]] ("the Kotel Brigades") among others. Primary training centers were based in [[Ramat Gan]], [[Qastina]] (by [[Kiryat Mal'akhi]] of today) and other places.