The memorial ceremony for Irgun fighters who fell in the battle for Jaffa in 1948 was held yesterday (Monday) at the Irgun Museum in Tel Aviv. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was present and addressed several topics during his speech. (The Irgun was a paramilitary organization whose members fought to protect Jewish residents and achieve independence under the British Mandatory government).
“Restrain when necessary, strike when necessary”
Netanyahu began by recalling the situation that prevailed before the founding of the state—a reality he noted still resonates today.
“A prolonged, bitter, and fierce debate divided the Yishuv (Jewish community in pre-state Israel) over the appropriate response to recurring Arab violence. The fundamental question came down to three words: restraint or response.”
“No one said: Let’s surrender”
The Prime Minister referred to Ze’ev Jabotinsky, the Irgun’s commander, who in 1936 warned against the illusion that Jews could survive in the Land of Israel solely under the protection of British bayonets.
“We must recognize that restraint versus response isn’t a black-and-white matter. There are moments when wisdom demands restraint—and others when action is required. A complex set of factors influences the right timing for taking action.”
He continued, “The problem arose when a meaningful response was needed to deadly riots—and none came. Blood was spilled without an answer. Terror spread—met with helplessness. The achievements of Zionism faced real danger. That’s what happened in Jaffa during the six months leading up to the state’s founding.”
He added that after long and frustrating months, “the Irgun decided: to respond. To go to battle so that Tel Aviv would not fall.”
Netanyahu praised the underground fighters for their courage and determination.
“Under the confident leadership of ‘Gidi’—Amichai Paglin—they charged wave after wave at the enemy’s positions. They blasted holes through walls, advanced from post to post, and cleared the area. In the face of obstacles and resistance—not one of them gave up. No one said, ‘Let’s surrender.’”
“Today, we too are committed to complete victory”
The Prime Minister then connected the historical battle to today’s war.
“The underground fighters knew they were part of a historic battle. Just like them, our brave soldiers and commanders in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and beyond understand that this war—this War of Rebirth—is a historic campaign. And just as the battle to liberate Jaffa ended in total victory, so today we too are committed to the principle of total victory.”
“We will accomplish all the war’s goals: we will dismantle Hamas rule in Gaza; we will bring our brothers and sisters—the hostages—home; we will eliminate any future threat from Gaza to Israel; and we will return the evacuated residents safely to their homes. We are doing this—and we will complete it.”
“The Houthis have suffered heavy blows from us and the Americans”
Netanyahu also responded to criticism about the period leading up to the October 7 massacre and about the IDF’s operations in Gaza after the 2005 disengagement.
“In those operations, we eliminated thousands of terrorists, struck commanders—but did not enter on the ground, because there was neither national nor international legitimacy. After the horrific massacre of October 7, we had to go in and resolve this once and for all.”
“Two days after the war began, I said—though no one believed me—I said, ‘We will change the face of the Middle East.’ And that’s exactly what we did… We shattered the Axis of Evil—in Gaza, in Lebanon, in Syria, and in other places.”
According to U.S. sources cited by Al Arabiya, more than 500 Houthi fighters and operatives, including senior commanders, have been killed in the Yemen operation since it began. Netanyahu commented:
“The Houthis in Yemen have taken heavy blows from us and from our American allies.” He added, “Any attack against us will not be met with restraint. There will be a strong response—and there has already been a very strong one. In Lebanon, in Gaza, everywhere—for every attack, there will be a crushing response.”
“There will be no civil war—not in Israel”
Concluding his speech, Netanyahu remembered fighter Shmuel Ash, who fell in the Neve Tzedek neighborhood.
“Before his death, Shmuel told his father: ‘I have a strong desire to live—but what are my peaceful days worth when my people’s very survival hangs in the balance?’ That is a powerful statement.”
He also spoke of Natan Panz, a gifted soccer player mentioned in the book “The Begin Boys”.
“Natan begged his commanders to let him join the battle for the Manshiyya neighborhood. He was wounded inside an armored vehicle in one of the alleyways, refused to leave his position, and fought until a second British shell ended his promising life.”
“These are the ones who paved our path to independence. These are the liberators of Jaffa. Each of them has a place in the story of our national rebirth—without exclusion, without slander. The Irgun fought here—sometimes alongside the Haganah. No one should diminish another’s role. And I stress: only when we fight together—as true brothers—do we win together. There will be no fratricidal war, and there will be no civil war—not in Israel.”
Netanyahu concluded:
“No one will break us. No one will defeat us. No one will stop us from doing what you expect—and what the people of Israel, and generations to come, expect: to ensure the eternity of Israel. That is our mission. That is the mission of us all.”
Watch the Prime Minister’s speech [Hebrew]:
