Tripoli Sabotage Campaign – 23 Yordei Hasira
This was the first of the operational missions carried out as part of "cooperation" between the Jewish Yishuv in Mandatory Palestine and the British during World War II.
The departure of 23 Jewish fighters and a British officer on a mission to sabotage the Tripoli refineries in Syria, on the 18th of May 1941, is closely related to the establishment of the Palmach: This was the first of the operational missions carried out as part of "cooperation" between the Jewish Yishuv in Mandatory Palestine and the British during World War II. It was in this framework, and during a short period of time, that detachments of Palmach fighters were integrated into the vanguard force of the British army that invaded Syria and Lebanon.
"Cooperation" was established due to the looming approach of the battlefront towards Mandatory Palestine. Under the threat of German occupation, the British agreed to the demands of the leadership of the Jewish Yishuv to allow operational participation of volunteers in the war. Intelligence personnel in the Palestinian branch of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), which was established in Cairo in the summer of 1940, wanted to activate these volunteers and use them in intelligence and sabotage missions over enemy lines.
"Cooperation" was established due to the looming approach of the battlefront towards Mandatory Palestine. Under the threat of German occupation, the British agreed to the demands of the leadership of the Jewish Yishuv to allow operational participation of volunteers in the war. Intelligence personnel in the Palestinian branch of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), which was established in Cairo in the summer of 1940, wanted to activate these volunteers and use them in intelligence and sabotage missions over enemy lines.