ABSTRACT
Jewish Armed Struggle in Palestine in the 1940s: Its Impact on British Morale and Public Opinion
Shaul Zadka
This article examines the Irgun's armed campaign against the British forces in Palestine in the last years of British mandatory rule. Even now, this subject is controversial within Israel where the question of how important this action was in finally bringing about a Jewish state is still hotly debated. This article concentrates on one aspect of this debate, the influence of Jewish underground actions on the morale and public perception and attitude to the Palestine issue in Britain. By assessing the press and political response to Irgun actions it argues that these had a great effect, at least in psychological terms, on public opinion in London. It also addresses the effect of the Irgun's struggle on the morale and perception of the British military. The article concludes with the opinion that while the Irgun's military strength was always a subject of contradicting claims, the military difficulties which the British armed forces faced in Palestine resulted not only in a severe blow to its prestige, but also in a low degree of morale which affected the psychological well-being of the soldiers, both individually and collectively.
