68th Memorial Anniversary for David Raziel

David Raziel (see here) was the Irgun commander between 1937-1941. He initiated the Irgun's counter-terror campaign against Arabs after over a year and a half of Arab terror directed solely against Jewish civilian targets in the first period of what is known as the Arab Revolt or, the "Distrubances" (background). This was the famous "breaking of the havlaga, the self-restraint attitude of the offical Yishuv bodies.

In June 1938, he was appointed Head of the Irgun Command, a position he fulfilled until his death in May 1941.

Raziel remained loyal to Jabotinsky's policy of a ceasefire as regards British rule oveer the Mandate until the war in Europe against Nazi Germany was won. Avraham Stern disagreed and broke away, to form eventually what became the Lechi.

In mid-1941, Rashid Ali al Kilani staged a pro-Nazi revolution in Iraq and took control of the oil fields. On May 2, Kilani directed his attention to the British, besieging the Habaniyeh airbase and taking hostage the entire staff of the British Embassy in Baghdad. The British asked the Irgun to aid in a commando raid to blow up Iraqi oil fields, which were supplying fuel to the Germans. However, the Irgun leader David Raziel was killed by the Germans during the attempt when a plane strafed his convoy.

Today, a memorial ceremony was conducted on the 68th anniversary of his death at Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem.

Some pictures:

IDF honor guard saluting:

His widow, Shoshana:

His gravestone:

Speaker of the Knesset MK Ruby Rivlin spoke:

Excerpted from an essay by David Raziel:

In almost every generation can be found individuals who possess nobility of mind, who succeed in rising above the prevailing outlook of their generation, to reach a truth that their generation sees as a lie -- A man like this, who desires to bring his ideas to the public, will of course encounter misunderstanding from the environment, a misunderstanding that brings with it hatred and enmity, or in case he is successful, just opposition. This opposition and the resulting persecution weaken the strength of this individual who is fighting to spread his opinions, and tie his hands -- during his lifetime such a man remains misunderstood, hated, persecuted. But only after a few decades -- his teachings will be understood, and those who drink from his waters will esteem the man who was born decades “before his time”.