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Members of the Jewish defense organization the Irgun bombed the British administrative headquarters in Palestine, based in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.

King David Hotel Bombing in Jerusalem Takes Place | CIE .woocommerce-product-gallery{ opacity: 1 !important; } About Our Mission Our History Our Team Our Board Our Partners CIE In the News Newsletters Testimonials Get in Touch with CIE Analyses Issues & Analyses Ken’s Blog Today in Israeli History CIE Resources BibliographiesContemporary ReadingsCurated ReadingsCIE DigitalDistance LearningDocuments and SourcesErasHebrew MaterialsItalian MaterialsIsrael@75: A Yearlong ExplorationLeague of NationsMapsPolls and SurveysPolish MaterialsPortuguese MaterialsEspañolThemesTimelinesTranscripts/InterviewsUseful LinksWeizmann Letters Education Programs Resources Teens Distance Learning Store Español Israel-Hamas War search close Donate mail_outline Subscribe Español Donate menu close Search About Our Mission Our History Our Team Our Board Our Partners CIE In the News Newsletters Testimonials Get in Touch with CIE Analyses Issues & Analyses Ken’s Blog Today in Israeli History CIE Resources Bibliographies Contemporary Readings Curated Readings CIE Digital Distance Learning Documents and Sources Eras Hebrew Materials Italian Materials Israel@75: A Yearlong Exploration League of Nations Maps Polls and Surveys Polish Materials Portuguese Materials Español Themes Timelines Transcripts/Interviews Useful Links Weizmann Letters Education Programs Resources Teens Distance Learning Store Español Israel-Hamas War Search close King David Hotel Bombing in Jerusalem Takes Place Home / Today in Israeli History July 22, 1946 Members of the Jewish defense organization the Irgun bombed the British administrative headquarters in Palestine, based in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. Ninety-one people were killed; among them were twenty-eight British, forty-one Arabs, and seventeen Jews.  The Irgun’s goal was to drive the British out of Palestine. The British did decide to withdraw six months later, when they turned Palestine over to the United Nations. The Irgun had been founded in 1931 by Vladimir “Ze’ev” Jabotinsky, who strongly believed that the Haganah (official defense organization of the Yishuv) was not sufficiently aggressive towards the British.  Known commonly as “the Irgun,” the organization’s full name was Ha-Irgun HaTzevai HaLe’umi B’Eretz Yisrael (“National Military Organization”).  It was also known by its Hebrew acronym, Etzel.  Menahem Begin, prime minister of Israel from 1977-1982, was one of the Irgun’s early leaders.  As commander of the Irgun in 1943, Begin is believed to have been responsible for planning and executing the King David Hotel attack. The bombing took place after a team of Irgun fighters set up the explosives and two female Irgun members telephoned both the hotel’s operator and the editors of the Palestine Post.  Intending to prevent casualties, they delivered this message: “I am speaking on behalf of the Hebrew underground.  We have placed an explosive device in the hotel.  Evacuate it at once – you have been warned.”  Despite this warning, many officials stayed in the hotel.  The attack was condemned by David Ben-Gurion, who was serving as head of the Jewish Agency at that time.  He told a French newspaper that the Irgun was an enemy of the Jewish people. For more information about the King David Hotel bombing see: A 1946 British newsreel report of the attack: http://tinyurl.com/lxpyw3u. The Irgun historical website has more background about the Irgun as well as the bombing: http://www.etzel.org.il/english/ac10.htm. An article from July 2012 in Tablet magazine is about the author’s grandfather’s role in the King David Hotel attack: http://tinyurl.com/coczyo6. The photo shows the King David Hotel in ruins on July 22, 1946. Also on this dateActress Gila Almagor Is Born PreviousU.S. Opposes Stationing Troops in IsraelNextEleventh Knesset Elections Result in National Unity Government Thank you for your personal interest in learning about modern Israel Contributions from people like you allow CIE to assemble and compose materials about Israel's rich and vibrant story. Please play a beneficial role in sustaining our mission. Donate to assure inspired learning for yourself and for others. Donate now Receive weekly Today in Israeli History updates Email Address Subscribe LatestIsrael’s 9/11 – The War Resumes – Some Hostages Returned: The U.S.-Israel Relationship in the Context of Regional PoliticsCIE Digital#129 Contemporary Readings November 2023 – including Israel-Hamas WarContemporary Readings#128 Contemporary Readings October 2023Contemporary ReadingsThe Israel-Hamas War 2023Featured AnalysesAnti-Israeli teaching on American campuses: Origins, Extent, and RemediesFeatured Analyses RelatedElaykim Rubinstein, “The Players of Camp David – An insider Israeli view on the personalities and ideas that drove the history-making Camp David Accords,” Cairo Review, Winter 2019.Ken's BlogEtzel (Irgun) Bombs the King David Hotel in JerusalemRemarks by Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan at the Knesset about the 1978 Camp David AccordsDocuments and Sources ©2023 Center for Israel Education Privacy / Terms / Contact Subscribe Donate Español LinkedIn Instagram icon YouTube icon Twitter icon Facebook Subscribe to CIE Updates Email Address * First Name * Last Name * CIE Updates (select all that apply) Today in Israeli History (weekly) Contemporary Readings (monthly) CIE Newsletter (quarterly) The Chalk (biweekly updates) The Israel-Hamas War 2023 Your privacy is important to us and we will never share your information. 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