The 'Fighters for the Freedom of Israel', commonly known as the 'Stern Gang,' was one of three Jewish paramilitary organisations operating in Palestine during the years between World War II and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The common origin of all three organisations; 'Haganah', 'Irgun', and the 'Stern Gang,' was the Jewish Defense Organization (Haganah) which was created during the Arab disturbances in 1929. When another Arab uprising against the British Mandatory Government in Palestine began in 1936, the right wing of the Jewish Defence Organisation disagreed with the general policy of mere defence laid down by the Jewish Agency.1 In April 1937 it demanded retaliation against the Arab community whenever Jewish settlements were attacked by Arab marauders. As the Arab uprising, which had initially been an anti-British movement, became increasingly anti-Jewish, the right wing of the Jewish Defence Organisation started to carry out such retaliation. This wing, under its separate command, then became known by the name 'The National Military Organisation in the Land of Israel' (Irgu , Zvei Leumi be Erez Israel, or simply the 'Irgun'). l While the Haganah remained the military force at the disposal of the Jewish Agency, the Irgun kept a close liaison with the right wing the Revisionist Party, led from Europe by V. Jabotinsky -of the world Zionist Organisation. Direct command over the Irgun was divided between the military head, David Raziel, and the political head, Abraham Stern. Even before the beginning of WA'orld War II, differences of opinion had already arisen between