Declassified Israeli Documents Reveal Stern Gang's Attempts to Ally with Nazi Germany
Recently declassified Israeli archive documents, reported by Haaretz and Middle East Eye, reveal that the Stern Gang, a Zionist militia led by Avraham Stern, attempted to forge an alliance with Nazi Germany during the 1930s and 1940s. Motivated by intense opposition to British rule in Mandatory Palestine, Stern sought a partnership based on shared interests: German expulsion of Jews from Europe and Jewish aspirations for statehood. The documents detail proposals for active cooperation, including the formation of a Jewish army to fight alongside Germany against the British. Key figures like Naftali Lubenchik and Natan Yellin-Mor engaged in these efforts, believing Nazis sought Jewish expulsion rather than physical destruction. Eliyahu Golomb, commander of the rival Haganah, monitored these contacts closely, referring to Stern as a collaborator with the enemy. Unlike the Haganah and Irgun, which paused anti-British attacks during World War II, the Stern Gang continued its campaign. The attempts ultimately failed, and Stern was killed by British authorities in 1942. These revelations highlight a controversial chapter in pre-state Zionist history, exposing the extreme measures taken by fringe factions to achieve political goals amidst global conflict.
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Declassified Israeli Documents Reveal Stern Gang's Attempts to Ally with Nazi Germany
Recently declassified Israeli archive documents, reported by Haaretz and Middle East Eye, reveal that the Stern Gang, a Zionist militia led by Avraham Stern, attempted to forge an alliance with Nazi Germany during the 1930s and 1940s. Motivated by intense opposition to British rule in Mandatory Palestine, Stern sought a partnership based on shared interests: German expulsion of Jews from Europe and Jewish aspirations for statehood. The documents detail proposals for active cooperation, including the formation of a Jewish army to fight alongside Germany against the British. Key figures like Naftali Lubenchik and Natan Yellin-Mor engaged in these efforts, believing Nazis sought Jewish expulsion rather than physical destruction. Eliyahu Golomb, commander of the rival Haganah, monitored these contacts closely, referring to Stern as a collaborator with the enemy. Unlike the Haganah and Irgun, which paused anti-British attacks during World War II, the Stern Gang continued its campaign. The attempts ultimately failed, and Stern was killed by British authorities in 1942. These revelations highlight a controversial chapter in pre-state Zionist history, exposing the extreme measures taken by fringe factions to achieve political goals amidst global conflict.
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