The Haganah was the underground military organization of Jewish settlers in Palestine before Israel's independence, founded in 1920.
From Hebrew 'haganah,' meaning 'defense.' The organization evolved from early self-defense groups into a structured paramilitary force during the British Mandate period.
The Haganah's organizational structure was so effective that most of its members and command structure became the backbone of Israel's Defense Forces after 1948—one underground army literally transformed into a national army.
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