Many members of HaShomer joined the Jewish Legion, which fought with the British against imperial Germany during World War I. They also established a precedent of armed self-defense of the Zionist movement, which during the War of Independence in 1948 would flower into the IDF. ... With the outbreak of World War II, Irgun leaders settled on a policy of cooperation with the British in the war effort; but a hard core within the organization opposed the policy and accordingly split off from the larger body. ... During World War II, about 32,000 Palestinian Jews, both men and women, volunteered ...

• Word Count: 6784
• Approx Pages: 27
• Grade Level: Undergraduate