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At the very
beginning of the war, the President of the World Zionist Organization,
Chaim Weizmann, offered the government of Great Britain the full
cooperation of the Jewish community in Palestine in mobilization and
began to negotiate for the formation of a Jewish combat force under
British Army auspices. Although many Palestinian Jews joined the
British Army-some in Jewish companies-the British refused to
establish an identifiably Jewish formation at brigade strength that
would fight under a Jewish flag.
In the
summer of 1943, the Zionists revised their proposals. Churchill
favored them and, applying all of his personal authority, urged his
colleagues to approve them. On July 3, 1944, the British War Cabinet
decided that, although the formation of a Jewish division was not
feasible on practical grounds, the creation of a brigade should be
immediately and positively examined. On September 20, 1944, an
official communique by the War Office announced the formation of the
Jewish Brigade Group. The Zionist flag was officially approved as
its standard.
The Brigade
Group took part in the early stages of the Allies’ final offensive
in Italy in April 1945 and then was withdrawn for reorganization. It
was the first and only Jewish formation to fight in World War II
under the Jewish flag, recognized as representing the Jewish people.
After the
termination of hostilities, the Brigade Group was stationed in
Tarvisio, near the border triangle of Italy, Yugoslavia, and
Austria. Soon, it became a source of attraction for young Jewish
survivors all over the Continent.
In July
1945, the Brigade Group moved to Belgium and the Netherlands. About
150 of its soldiers were clandestinely dispatched to engage in
organizational and educational work in the displaced persons’
camps, to organize the Beriha ("Escape") stations in
Austria and Germany, and to help prepare for "illegal"
immigration to Palestine. Other soldiers concentrated on arms
purchase for the Hagana (the main Jewish underground military
organization in Palestine). Despite last-moment attempts by the
Jewish Agency to prolong the existence of the Brigade Group, the
British were determined to disband it according to their
demobilization plan, and this was accomplished in June and July of
1946.
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