The Stern Gang, also known as Lehi, and the Irgun were two Jewish paramilitary organizations that operated in British Mandate Palestine during the mid-20th century.

• The Stern Gang was a radical Zionist group formed in 1940, led by Avraham Stern. It was a small but ideologically extreme organization that believed in using violence and terrorism to achieve their goals, including the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. The group was responsible for several high-profile attacks on British and Arab targets, including the assassination of Lord Moyne, the British Minister Resident in the Middle East.

• The Irgun, officially known as the Irgun Zvai Leumi, was another Jewish paramilitary organization active during the same period. It was led by Menachem Begin, who would later become Israel’s Prime Minister. The Irgun was also involved in armed resistance against British rule in Palestine and carried out various attacks, including the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in 1946, which resulted in numerous casualties.

• Both groups sought to promote Jewish immigration to Palestine and the establishment of a Jewish state, often clashing with British authorities who controlled the region at the time. These organizations were controversial, with some viewing them as freedom fighters and others as terrorists. Eventually, they largely merged into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) upon the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.