Jewish Brigade
The Jewish Infantry Brigade Group, more commonly known as the Jewish Brigade Group or Jewish Brigade, was a military formation of the British Army in World War II. It was formed in late 1944 and was recruited among Jews from the territory of the Mandate for Palestine and commanded by Anglo-Jewish officers. It served in the latter stages of the Italian Campaign. The Zionist flag was officially approved as its standard.
The unit included more than 5,000 Jewish volunteers. Overall, in the course of World War II, the Jewish Brigade's casualties were 83 killed in action or died of wounds and 200 wounded.
After the war, some members of the Brigade supported Jewish immigration to Palestine, smuggled weapons to Jews in Palestine, and fought in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Many veterans would serve as high-ranking officers in the Israeli military, 35 becoming generals.
Some also participated in or supported the Tilhas Tizig Gesheften and the Nakam, organizations, which killed many people suspected of involvement in the Holocaust. Information regarding the whereabouts of those suspected and killed was gathered either by torturing prisoners or by way of military connections. The British uniforms, military documentation, equipment, and vehicles used by Jewish Brigade veterans greatly contributed. The number the Nakam killed is unknown, but may have been as high as 1,500. Furthermore, the Nakam intended to kill six million Germans, as discussed in the article on Nakam.
While politically correct sources apparently view as positive and mention the associations of the Jewish Brigade with violent organizations such as those mentioned above, little is said of possibly associations with terrorist organizations such as the Irgun and the Lehi, which planned and committed numerous bombings and killings of British citizens, in Palestine, in Britain, and elsewhere.
See also
- Irgun and Lehi
- Nakam
- Tilhas Tizig Gesheften
- 43 Group - Antifa group in the UK described as consisting of "Jewish ex-servicemen".
