Newly declassified archival material has revealed a little-known and deeply controversial episode in the history of Israel’s pre-state underground movements, detailing efforts by the militant group Lehi to establish contact with Nazi Germany during World War II. The documents, reported by Haaretz after a successful declassification request, shed light on the ideological calculations and covert initiatives led by Avraham “Yair” Stern, whose strategy sought to turn one of history’s most reviled regimes into a potential ally against British rule in Palestine.
The files originate from intelligence records compiled by the Haganah, the main Jewish paramilitary organization in British Mandatory Palestine, and later preserved in Israeli state archives. They include real-time observations, internal assessments, and retrospective analyses of Lehi’s attempts to engage with Axis powers, particularly Germany and Italy, at a time when most of the Jewish community had aligned itself with the Allied war effort against the Nazis.
One of the earliest references appears in a 1941 intelligence note quoting Eliyahu Golomb, the founder and de facto commander of the Haganah. Speaking in a closed forum, Golomb warned of suspicions regarding “a group of Jews who have connections with the enemy,” referring to Nazi Germany. He identified the central figure as “S,” later confirmed to be Stern, and noted that British authorities were already speaking in terms of a potential “Jewish fifth column.”
These concerns were documented in a file titled “Contacts with the Axis,” which tracked Lehi’s activities and ideological stance. The material reveals that Stern viewed the global conflict not as a reason to suspend the anti-British struggle, but as a strategic opportunity. While mainstream Jewish leadership prioritized defeating Nazi Germany, Stern argued that Britain remained the primary obstacle to Jewish statehood and should be confronted even during wartime.
According to one document, Stern believed that the war had weakened Britain sufficiently to make it vulnerable to insurgent action. His thinking extended to the possibility of reaching an agreement with Nazi Germany, which he saw as having no inherent interest in Palestine. The documents describe his rationale in stark terms: since the Nazis aimed to expel Jews from Europe, facilitating their transfer to a Jewish state in Palestine could serve both German objectives and Zionist aspirations.
The files suggest that Stern envisioned a far-reaching arrangement, including the formation of a Jewish military force composed of European Jews that would fight alongside Axis powers to expel the British from Palestine. In this framework, a future Jewish state would align itself with Germany, creating what he saw as a mutually beneficial geopolitical outcome.
Further intelligence notes indicate that Stern believed divisions existed within Nazi leadership regarding Jewish policy in Palestine. One faction, he thought, supported Arab leadership and viewed Jewish settlement as a threat, while another might see strategic value in encouraging Jewish migration and cooperation. This analysis formed part of his argument that engagement with Germany was not only possible but potentially advantageous.
The declassified material also includes references to concrete attempts to establish contact with German officials. One such initiative involved a proposal offering “active partnership” in the war based on perceived shared interests. Another figure, Naftali Lubenchik, was reportedly sent as an envoy to present the case that concentrating European Jews in Palestine would benefit both Germany and the Jewish national movement.
Lubenchik’s efforts were grounded in a belief, reflected in the documents, that the Axis powers did not necessarily seek the physical destruction of Jews but rather their expulsion from Europe. He argued that designating Palestine as a destination for Jewish concentration could win the support of the Jewish population and even mobilize it against British forces. Lubenchik later died in exile in Eritrea in 1946 after being detained by British authorities.
The files also contain retrospective testimonies and ideological reflections from Lehi members. In one account, Stern is quoted as saying that cooperation with Germany could be managed pragmatically, drawing parallels to the Soviet Union’s temporary alignment with Nazi Germany. Other Lehi figures, including Natan Yellin-Mor and Israel Eldad, expressed support for seeking alliances based on strategic necessity rather than ideological alignment.
Despite these efforts, the documents make clear that Lehi’s overtures to the Axis powers ultimately failed. No substantive agreement was reached, and the initiative did not translate into operational cooperation. Stern himself was killed by British forces in 1942, bringing an end to his direct leadership of the group.
The Haganah and other intelligence bodies monitored these activities closely, recognizing both their potential political consequences and the risk they posed to the broader Jewish community. Golomb warned that British authorities had obtained information about such contacts, which could be used to discredit the Jewish cause internationally. Several individuals were reportedly arrested on suspicion of attempting to connect with Axis representatives.
The revelations highlight a profound ideological divide within the Jewish community in Palestine during the war years. While the dominant approach emphasized unity with Allied forces against Nazi Germany, Lehi pursued a radically different path, prioritizing immediate independence from British rule over alignment in the global conflict.
The exposure of these documents by Haaretz adds new depth to historical understanding of the period, illustrating the extent to which desperation, strategic calculation, and ideological conviction could converge in unexpected and controversial ways. It also raises enduring questions about the ethical boundaries of political struggle and the risks inherent in seeking alliances with hostile or morally compromised powers.
As historians and the public grapple with the implications of these findings, the episode stands as a stark reminder of the complexities and contradictions that shaped the path to Israeli statehood. What remained hidden for decades now offers a more nuanced, and at times unsettling, portrait of the choices made in pursuit of national liberation.
