Fun Trivia for Days of War: Who is the Following Organization?

Image via Wikipedia Question 1: Which terror organization am I?
Our mystery organization was a militant group that operated in Palestine/Israel in order to free the land that had been promised to its people by the lord.

It argued that only fighting and terror could free their land from the evil occupier. No person is immune, and every killing is justified. I think the picture is clear, but just to be sure, a couple of examples:

• It blew up a hotel (and killed 91 people).
• It attacked a settlement (and killed 110 civilians)
• After 3 of its members were killed by the ruling army, it kidnapped two soldiers (and executed them).

Hint - the photo on the top right is of its leader.
Okay, who is our mysterious organization?

1. The Hamas, of course, what is the question?
2. Hmmm... not Hamas? Perhaps the Fatah
3. I know, I know! it's Al-Qaeda!
4. All of the above, these guys can't be trusted.
   

Well, here is a slight surprise for you. The organization is actually a Jewish terror organization. It was called the Irgun, and it operated against the local Arab population and the British Army during the late 30s and 40s (before the establishment of Israel). Here is a summary of its ideology: "every Jew had the right to enter Palestine; only active retaliation would deter the Arabs and the British; only Jewish armed force would ensure the Jewish state" (Howard Sachar: ''A History of the State of Israel, p. 265-266). Substiute 'Jew' for 'Muslim', and you get the instant version of the Hamas ideology.

The parallels are astonishing. A terror organization, attacks civilians, kidnaps soldiers, and all in the name of freedom and justice.

Lesson 1 - Israelis should at least understand where the Hamas is coming from. It is part of our (hi)story as well. We did the same 70 years ago. People under occupation do crazy stuff.

Question 2: How did the main Jewish establishment respond?
You may think that the Irgun was a tangent phenomena in the Zionist story. But it wasn't. Actually, the parallels are pretty striking also here. Today the Palestinians have the moderate PLO, and back then the Jewish population under the British had the Hagana. But look what the Israeli government had to say about the massacre in the village I mentioned above, 20 years later:
"In 1969, the Israeli Foreign Ministry published a pamphlet “Background Notes on Current Themes: Deir Yassin” in English denying that there had been a massacre at Deir Yassin, and calling the story "part of a package of fairy tales, for export and home consumption"." (all-knowing Wikipedia). Just to be clear about the facts: there is no doubt that the massacre took place. This is why the Israeli Foreign Minstery did not publish this in Hebrew. But it did deny it in English.

Lesson #2: We should be tolerant towards the Palestinian response to the Hamas terror attacks. In times of war, people are willing to tweak reality and justify the most horrible actions. This is part of our (hi)story as well. We did the same only 40 years ago.

Question 3: How did this whole fiasco end? Justice was made with the people in charge, right? After all, the famous Jewish moral is aImage via Wikipediabove all.
How can I put it gently... well... not exactly. The person who head the Irgun during the events mentioned above was Menachem Begin, the person and the legend.
Rings a bell? Begin was later elected to become the prime minster of Israel. It also did some good - Mr. Begin gave up 2/3 of the Israeli territory, the Sinai peninsula, in exchange for peace with Arabs.


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Lesson 3: It makes sense that a head of a terror organization is democratically elected to head a country. This is not a good enough reason to boycott him. What are we, in kindergarten? Talking to him may actually do some good. We should know it, since it is part of our (hi)story too. We did it only 30 years ago.


Arye Mekel, who used to be the Israel’s Consul General in New York, said the following (and I am sure he was not the first): “A people that does not know where it is coming from, does not know where it is going."
It is time we take a closer look at our deeds. Where ARE we going?