AstroMystic, 22/06/24

The first terrorist Hagana gang was established in 1920 as the Jewish community’s primary paramilitary organization in Palestine, focused on protecting Jewish colonies. Influenced by Orde Wingate, the Hagana transitioned into a more offensive force. Wingate trained Hagana troops in retaliatory tactics, primarily against targets like snipers or thieves, with a focus on intimidating Palestinian communities near Jewish settlements. This training involved joint attacks with British forces on Palestinian villages, teaching the Hagana how to conduct “punitive missions”.
During World War II, Hagana members gained further military experience by volunteering for the British war effort, while those remaining in Palestine focused on monitoring and infiltrating Palestinian villages. This period saw the emergence of systematic intelligence gathering, with the creation of detailed village files containing information like village layouts and potential for collaboration.
A historian named Ben-Zion Luria proposed the creation of a detailed registry of all Arab villages. This archive, known as “The Village Files,” became a comprehensive repository of information about Palestinian villages. The Hagana collected detailed information on the topography, demographics, and sociopolitical dynamics of each village. This included data on access roads, land quality, water sources, income sources, religious affiliations, and the names of village leaders (mukhtars).
In 1947, the Hagana updated the Village Files to include lists of “wanted” individuals in each village. These lists, based on involvement in the Palestinian national movement or resistance against the British and Zionists, were used to identify and often execute individuals. The terrorist Haganagangs established training centers, like the one in Shefeya, to train operatives in espionage tactics, including blending in with the local Palestinian population. These operatives gathered information by exploiting traditional Arab hospitality, even staying as guests in the homes of village leaders (mukhtars).
By the late 1940s, under the leadership of figures like David Ben-Gurion, the Hagana shifted towards a more proactive and aggressive approach, moving away from solely retaliatory tactics. This was influenced by the British disarmament campaign against Jewish forces and a growing desire to establish a Jewish state, even if it meant settling for a smaller territory. The Hagana’s focus turned towards intimidation and offensive operations aimed at maximizing damage and expelling Palestinian populations.
This shift culminated in Plan Dalet, a comprehensive plan for the takeover of Palestine, involving the systematic destruction and depopulation of Palestinian villages and urban areas. The implementation of Plan Dalet, marked by operations like Nachshon, involved the use of increasingly aggressive tactics such as mass expulsions, massacres, and psychological warfare. While there was initial hesitation among some troops accustomed to the previous strategy of retaliation, the Hagana leadership actively encouraged a more ruthless and systematic approach to achieve their objectives.