Editing Zionist political violence (section)

==Jewish public opinion==
During the conflict between Arabs and Jews in Palestine before the war, the criterion of "[[Purity of arms]]" was used to distinguish between the respective attitudes of the Irgun and Haganah towards Arabs, with the latter priding itself on its adherence to principle.<ref name="shapira1"/> The Jewish society in the British Mandate Palestine generally disapproved and denounced violent attacks both on grounds of moral rejection and political disagreement, stressing that terrorism is counter-productive in the Zionist quest for Jewish [[self-determination]].<ref name="galor"/> Generally speaking, this precept requires that "weapons remain pure [and that] they are employed only in self-defence and [never] against innocent civilians and defenceless people".<ref name="shlaimdebate">[[Avi Shlaim]], ''[http://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/9780472115419-ch5.pdf The Debate About 1948] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605062304/http://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/9780472115419-ch5.pdf |date=2011-06-05 }}'', International Journal of Middle East Studies, 27:3, 1995, pp. 287–304</ref> But if it "remained a central value in education" it was "rather vague and intentionally blurred" at the practical level.<ref name="shapira1">[[Anita Shapira]] (1992), p. 252</ref>

In 1946, at a meeting held between the heads of the Haganah, [[David Ben-Gurion]] predicted a confrontation between the Arabs of Palestine and the Arab states. Concerning the "principle of purity of arms", he stressed that: "The end does not justify all means. Our war is based on moral grounds"<ref name="shapira2">[[Anita Shapira]] (1992), p. 295</ref> and during the 1948 War, the [[Mapam]], the political party affiliated to Palmach, asked "a strict observance of the Jewish Purity of arms to secure the moral character of [the] war".<ref name="gelber1948">[[Yoav Gelber]] (2006), p. 291</ref> When he was later criticized by Mapam members for his attitude concerning the [[1948 Palestinian exodus|Arab refugee problem]], Ben-Gurion reminded them of the [[1948 Palestinian expulsion from Lydda and Ramle|Palestinian expulsion from Lydda and Ramle]] and the fact Palmah officers had been responsible for the "outrage that had encouraged the Arabs' flight made the party uncomfortable."<ref name="gelber1948"/>

According to [[Avi Shlaim]], this condemnation of the use of violence is one of the key features of 'the conventional Zionist account or old history' whose 'popular-heroic-moralistic version' is 'taught in Israeli schools and used extensively in the quest for legitimacy abroad'.<ref name="shlaimdebate"/> [[Benny Morris]] adds that '[t]he Israelis' collective memory of fighters characterized by "purity of arms" is also undermined by the evidence of [the dozen cases] of rapes committed in conquered towns and villages.' According to him, 'after the 1948 war, the Israelis tended to hail the "purity of arms" of its militiamen and soldiers to contrast this with Arab barbarism, which on occasion expressed itself in the mutilation of captured Jewish corpses.' According to him, 'this reinforced the Israelis' positive self-image and helped them "sell" the new state abroad and (...) demonized the enemy'.<ref name=Morris2008p404>Morris 2008, pp. 404–406.</ref>

Some Israelis justify acts of political violence. Sixty years after participating in the assassination of Swedish diplomat [[Folke Bernadotte]], [[Geulah Cohen]] had no regrets. As a broadcaster on Lehi's radio, she recalled the threats against Bernadotte in advance of the assassination. "I told him if you are not going to leave Jerusalem and go to your Stockholm, you won't be any more." Asked if it was right to assassinate Bernadotte, she replied, "There is no question about it. We would not have Jerusalem any more."<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israels-forgotten-hero-the-assassination-of-count-bernadotte--and-the-death-of-peace-934094.html Israel's forgotten hero: The assassination of Count Bernadotte – and the death of peace] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925193755/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israels-forgotten-hero-the-assassination-of-count-bernadotte--and-the-death-of-peace-934094.html |date=2015-09-25 }} The Independent, 18 Jan 2008</ref> In July 2006, the [[Menachem Begin Heritage Center]] organized a conference to mark the 60th anniversary of the [[King David Hotel bombing]]. The conference was attended by past and future Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] and former members of Irgun.<ref name="spirit">Tom Segev, [http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/the-spirit-of-the-king-david-hotel-1.193571 "The spirit of the King David Hotel"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101110165626/http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/the-spirit-of-the-king-david-hotel-1.193571 |date=2010-11-10 }}, ''[[Haaretz]]'', July 23, 2006</ref> The British Ambassador in Tel Aviv and the Consul-General in Jerusalem protested that a plaque commemorating the bombing stated "For reasons known only to the British, the hotel was not evacuated."<ref name="spirit"/> Netanyahu, then chairman of [[Likud]] and [[Leader of the Opposition (Israel)|Leader of the Opposition]] in the [[Knesset]], opined that the bombing was a legitimate act with a military target, distinguishing it from an act of terror intended to harm civilians since Irgun sent warnings to evacuate the building.<ref>{{Cite book|first=Nicholas|last=Bethell|title=The Palestine Triangle|publisher=Andre Deutsch|year=1979}}</ref> He said "Imagine that Hamas or Hizbullah would call the military headquarters in Tel Aviv and say, 'We have placed a bomb and we are asking you to evacuate the area.' They don't do that. That is the difference."<ref name=truth>{{cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/Features/Article.aspx?id=29576|title=Reflective truth|newspaper=Jerusalem Post|date=July 27, 2006|first=Eetta|last=Prince-Gibson|access-date=2009-05-10}}</ref> The British Ambassador in Tel Aviv and the Consul-General in Jerusalem protested, saying "We do not think that it is right for an act of terrorism, which led to the loss of many lives, to be commemorated", and wrote to the Mayor of [[Jerusalem]] that such an "act of terror" could not be honored. The British government also demanded the removal of the plaque, pointing out that the statement on it accusing the British of failing to evacuate the hotel was untrue and "did not absolve those who planted the bomb."<ref>Ned Parker and [[Stephen Farrell (journalist)|Stephen Farrell]], [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2277717,00.html "British anger at terror celebration"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725004552/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2277717,00.html |date=2008-07-25 }}, ''[[The Times]]'', July 20, 2006</ref> To prevent a diplomatic incident, changes were made in the plaque's text. The final English version says "Warning phone calls have been made to the hotel, The Palestine Post and the French Consulate, urging the hotel's occupants to leave immediately. The hotel was not evacuated and after 25 minutes the bombs exploded. To the Irgun's regret, 92 persons were killed."<ref name=truth/>