Israeli History Israel 21C JUN 9, 2026
WATCH: How illegal Jewish militias became Israel’s IDF
Before Israel became a state, Jewish defense in Mandatory Palestine wasn’t one unified force—it was three rival underground militias with different politics, tactics, and red lines: the Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi.
This story follows how Arab unrest, British rule, World War II, and the refugee crisis pushed them from bitter infighting to uneasy cooperation—and finally into a single army.
It also traces the last, violent test of unity in 1948, when the new state demanded one chain of command.
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