LEHI, The Fighters for the Freedom of Israel Stamp

Lochamel Herut Yisrael (the Fighters for the Freedom of Israel), known by its Hebrew abbreviation, LEHI, was founded in the summer of 1940 when members of the Irgun underground (Etzel), led by Avraham Stern, split off to form the new body. Stern, whose nom de guerre was “Yair”, disagreed with the Irgun commander’s stand of collaboration with the British regime during WWll. Yair and other members of the Irgun High Command viewed this as a unilateral cease-fire in the struggle against the British, who were continuing to restrict Jewish immigration and to oppose basic Zionist aspirations. The new underground organization severed all party-political ties and dependence, and charted an independent policy and course of action. Lehi strove to achieve Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel and to obtain its liberation by armed revolt against the British. It accompalished its goals by daring military operations. The stamp with an information sheet are enclosed in a plastic protection sheet