Remembering Deir Yassin

In the early morning of April 9th 1948, commandos from the Irgun, headed by Menachem Begin and members of the Stern Gang attacked the village of Deir Yassin and its 750 Palestinian residents, even though the village was located outside the area assigned by the United Nations to the new state of Israel.



Deir Yassin, known to be a peaceful and trouble-free village, had one strategic advantage that was to be its downfall. It was built on high ground on a corridor between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and as such was earmarked for occupation under Plan Dalet.

The Haganah, the main Israeli defense force had given authorisation to the irregular terrorist forces of the Irgun to perform the takeover, working side-by-side with a rag tag bunch of terrorists known as the Stern Gang. Over 100 men, women, and children were murdered and fifty-three children were left orphaned, literally dumped along the wall of the old city.

This unprovoked massacre, and others carried out since in the name of Zionism, should never be forgotten. The organisation Deir Yassin Remembered was set up to ensure the memory of those who perished is kept alive and their suffering not forgotten.