Following the 1929 Hebron massacre of 67 Jews in the British Mandate of Palestine , the Zionist militia Haganah transformed itself into a paramilitary force . In 1931 , however , the more militant Irgun broke away from Haganah , objecting to Haganah 's policy of restraint . Founded by Avraham Tehomi , Irgun sought to aggressively defend Jews from Arab attacks . Its tactic of attacking Arab communities , including the bombing of a crowded Arab market , is considered among the first examples of terrorism directed against civilians . After the British , in the White Paper of 1939 , placed severe restrictions on Jewish immigration into Palestine and set forth a vision of a single state with an Arab majority , the Irgun began a campaign against British rule by assassinating police , capturing British government buildings and arms , and sabotaging British railways . Irgun 's best-known attack targeted the King David Hotel in Jerusalem , parts of which housed the headquarters of the British civil and military administrations . The bombing , in 1946 , killed ninety-one people and injured forty-six , making it the most deadly attack during the Mandate era . This attack was sharply condemned by the organized leadership of the Yishuv , and further widened the gulf between David Ben-Gurion 's Hagana and Begin 's Irgun . Following the bombing , Ben-Gurion called Irgun an " enemy of the Jewish people " . After the founding of the state of Israel in 1948 , Menachem Begin ( Irgun leader from 1943 to 1948 ) transformed the group into the political party Herut , which later became part of Likud in an alliance with the center-right Gahal , Liberal Party , Free Centre , National List , and Movement for Greater Israel . On the 60th anniversary of the bombing , a plaque was unveiled at the hotel
1929 Hebron massacre
1929 Hebron massacre
History of terrorism