1. Strategy, Targets, and Methods of Operation Margaret Hemenway
Stern Gang
Strategy, Targets, and Methods of Operation
Margaret Hemenway
My topic is on the Stern Gang’s Strategy, Targets, and Methods of Operation. The issues I am addressing are how their strategies changed over time and the methods they used to obtain their goals.
One could argue that their efforts were very successful because British forces were removed from Palestine and the state of Israel got its independence in 1948, only eight years after the group was formed.
On the other hand, you could argue that with the assassination of UN mediator Count Folke Bernadotte, Israel itself declared them to be a terrorist organization and had the leaders and majority of the members arrested the same year that Israel got its independence.
Above left is an Israeli issued postage stamp that honors Avraham Stern, the Zionist leader who started the Stern Gang and broke from the original Zionist group, the Irgun.
Next to his face is the “Lehi” ribbon that was given to Jewish veterans who fought for Israel’s independence.
The top right picture is the paramilitary organization’s party flag. Lehi was an abbreviation for Lohamei Herut Yisrael which in English translates to “Fighters for the Freedom of Israel”. The hand symbol is a reference to Psalm 137:5 which says, “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, May my right hand forget her skill” and the wording is an abbreviation for Lehi but also means cheek or bones around the mouth/cheek.

2. Goals and Methods of Operation
1. To bring together all those interested in liberation (form a Jewish state)
2. Appear as the only Jewish military organization
3. Take over the area of Palestine by an armed force
Methods:
-Paramilitary Organization
-Publicity from Terrorist Attacks
-Co-Operation with other Israeli Terrorist/Military Groups
(i.e. Irgun and Haganah)
Public support was necessary for their liberation. They wanted to create a psychological offensive against Great Britain
Their terrorist attacks were to influence public opinion and lower the morale of the British soldiers that were stationed in Palestine.

3. Strategy Failed Jewish Army
1937 – Split from Irgun (Stern Gang Formed)
– Failed negotiations
3 Layered Strategy:
-Terrorist activities that would get media attention
-Guerilla activities/sabotage
-Propaganda campaigns
-In April 1937, there was a referendum in which Avraham Stern publicly supported the continued existence of the Irgun. The Irgun split over a dispute (in which the Irgun decided to make peace with the British) and had a change of strategy in 1940, in which the Stern Gang was formed. Avraham Stern said that “no difference existed between Hitler and Chamberlain” and believed that diplomacy with the British would not get them their independence.
-Lehi identified a common interest with the Germans (in attacking Great Britain) and they proposed an alliance with Nazi Germany in 1940 – offering assistance in transferring Jews out of Europe to Palestine in exchange for Germany’s help removing the British from Palestine. Lehi would sabotage operations in the Middle East and anywhere else they had cells and German in return would recognize an independent Jewish state in Palestine. The offer was delivered to the German Ambassador in Turkey in 1941 but there was never a response. The second attempt to the Nazis was even less successful and resulted in the Lehi’s emissary being arrested before delivering the message.
-Avraham Stern died in 1942 after being wanted by British officials for years and was shot while being taken into custody.
-In 1944 they also looked for support from the Soviet Union because they thought they both shared national bolsevism (radical nationalism) but never heard from them.
Avraham Stern –

4. Targets Assassination of Lord Moyne King David Hotel bombing
November 6th, 1944
King David Hotel bombing
July 22nd, 1946
91 deaths, 46 injured
Deir Yassin Massacre
April 9th, 1948
111 deaths
-On November 6th, 1944 Walter Guinness, the 1st Baron Moyne, Britain’s minister of state in the Middle East was assassinated by the Stern Gang. This was to show the world that this conflict was between citizens and a foreign ruler; between the Jewish people and the British Imperialism. The terrorist attack was done in order obtain world press acknowledgement and lead political thoughts. Moyne was held responsible for delaying discussion on pro-Zionist revolution and the expulsion of IZL and Stern Gang members to Eritrea and was the most prominent British official in the region. The two assassins, Eliahu Bet-Zouri and Eliahu Hakim used their trial as a platform to make public their political propaganda and ended up being seen as martyrs for the cause. They were both executed on March 22nd, 1945 and it drew a lot of attention to the Zionist cause.
-King David Hotel: 91 people were killed and 46 injured – members of the Irgun planted a bomb in the hotel basement (it was to destroy intelligence information that British troops had taken from the Jewish Agency)
-Deir Yassin massacre: Two months before Great Britain vacated Palestine, the Arab Liberation Army occupied several strategic outlets along the road between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and in doing so, cut off supplies to the Hebrew area of Jerusalem. In March 1948, the road was cut off and Jewish area of Jerusalem was under siege. The Haganah launched Operation Nachshon to break the siege in Deir Yassin. On April 9th, 1948, Stern Gang and Irgun members worked with the Haganah and captured Deir Yassin. Over two hundred people were killed.

5. Results 1947 – UN Partition Plan: (1947-1948) Civil War in Palestine
State of Israel established in May 14th 1948
Israeli Defense Forces/Unified Arm Forces
Assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte (Sept. 1948)
Ordinance to Prevent Terrorism
Lehi declared a terrorist organization by Israel
Given amnesty in February 1949
-Once the state of Israel was established, the Stern Gang no longer had an objective or role to play in the future of the Jewish nation. The Fighters for the Freedom of Israel were too radical right to appeal to the majority of the Israeli electorate.
-The Stern Gang was officially disbanded in May of 1948 but several members still continued to operate in Jerusalem.
-Count Folke Bernadotte was the United Nations Mediator on the Palestine question in May Bernadotte aimed at restricting the Jews to just a portion of the west bank of Jordan and the Stern Gang assassinated him as a result.
-Three days after his assassination, the Israeli gov’t passed the Ordinance to Prevent Terrorism and declared the Stern Gang a terrorist organization and had the majority of the members and all the leaders arrested and sent to prison on September 29th, 1948.
-However the state of Israel later announced general amnesty (in 1949) for Lehi members and they were all released.