I fought in the Lehi

Ezra Yachin, 93, born in Jerusalem. He was a combat soldier in the Lehi.

Lehi — Israeli Freedom Fighters

"Before the establishment of the country, the British ruled the Land of Israel," says Ezra. "They prevented Jews from immigrating in many ways, and more than that, they did not prevent the Arabs who lived there from murdering Jews. The Jews in the Land of Israel understood that they had to defend themselves. And so, they set up the underground organizations, one of them being the Lehi organization."

Ezra Joins Lehi

"It took me quite a while to join Lehi. You have to understand—the Lehi operated in secrecy. I searched for a long time for the underground to fight the British. I took part in all the activities of the underground. It started with providing them with vital information. I worked at the post office, so I could copy mail intended for the British, and pass it over to my superiors. Parallel to this, I continued to advocate to people to explain the importance of our mission and of what we were doing."

What Was the Point?

"World War II and the annihilation of the Jews of Europe. During the war, Jews wanted to flee from a Europe that they feel wants to destroy them. They board ships, but the English do not allow them to immigrate to the Land of Israel, and many people stay in Europe, waiting to be murdered by the Nazi’s, while the British restricted immigration to Israel. It was essential to fight the British so that we would have a country with an effective way to defend ourselves against anyone who tried to harm us. So that we would feel independent in our country."

November 29, 1947

"On November 29, 1947, the representatives of the United Nations gathered, and the majority voted "yes" for the division of the land between the Jewish community and the Arab community in the country. Many Jews danced in the streets, but my friends and I could not. We knew that these boundaries would not hold for even one day. We knew that even though the Arabs had received most of the territory, and even though Jerusalem was international, we knew they would start a war that would eventually set the definitive borders, and not by the UN or any other brokered decision.

The Day After — The War of Independence

"The day after that, the people of Israel found themselves being murdered. The Arabs killed and slaughtered entire families and murdered Jews everywhere. They threatened us and kept their promises. Then, what is called the War of Independence began. We found ourselves in a very difficult situation with both the British and the Arabs rioting and mobilizing against us. From the roofs, from the windows, they were everywhere. Jews were killed, and Jewish blood was spilt like water, and the British helped them. We understood that we had to defend ourselves and that we had to fight back."

Next Step — Collaboration

"The Arabs got cannons and started bombing our city. Anyone who left their house was in danger of death. The Arabs celebrated—every Jew who fell into their hands did not stay alive for more than a few seconds. They had an exchange of photos—whoever had more photos of dead Jews was considered more senior in the community. We understood that we had to fight back. Our commanders turned to the Irgun (another paramilitary organization trying to achieve the independence of the Jewish State) commanders—a solution had to be found. At this point, the Americans were already pressuring us not to establish a state, because the Jews were being massacred and they thought more fighting would just worsen the situation. So, together with the Irgun, we decided to storm places and start fighting back."

Ethical War - Speakers

"During the briefing before the operation, they set conditions that we would use speakers to warn the women and children because we didn’t want to hurt them. We used the speaker and lost the surprise factor. They shot at us. We did not even manage to advance and were hit one after the other. They kept saying that they were going to complete what Hitler had failed to do. Their goal was one: to lead the Jews to the slaughterhouse of history.”

The Point of Change

"As soon as we started fighting back, the Arabs began to grow fearful. In response, a mass exodus of Arabs began all over the country. The balance of power changed, and we were able to establish a state. Although we were in the midst of war, we already had an army, an army that could guarantee our safety and could protect the civilians of Israel from any harm. We could defend ourselves against anyone who tried to attack us."

Preserving the Legacy, Today

"I, as a faithful Jew, understand that I received from heaven the right to pass on to future generations the heritage of the people of Israel for generations to come. To tell them about the price we had to pay for this land. I tell my story in the army, in pre-military preparatory schools, and all over the country—wherever I am invited to."