On the morning of 22 July 1946, the city of Jerusalem awoke to a tragedy that would ripple through history: the bombing of the King David Hotel, the administrative and military heart of British governance in Mandatory Palestine. The attack, orchestrated by the Zionist paramilitary group Irgun, would become one of the most significant—and contentious—episodes in the protracted struggle between British colonial authorities and Jewish underground movements.
Nearly eight decades later, the King David Hotel bombing continues to divide historians, politicians, and the public alike. Was it an act of terrorism, or a calculated military strike in the fight for national liberation? The answer, as with much of the history of the region, is complex.
The Historical Context: British Rule, Jewish Resistance, and Rising Tensions
Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War, Britain was granted the mandate to govern Palestine by the League of Nations in 1920. Over the next two decades, Britain found itself in an increasingly volatile position, caught between the aspirations of the Jewish Zionist movement and the nationalist ambitions of the Arab population.
In the aftermath of the Holocaust, calls for unrestricted Jewish immigration to Palestine grew louder. However, the British, constrained by international politics and Arab opposition, maintained strict immigration quotas under the 1939 White Paper, which deeply angered the Jewish community. Frustration soon gave way to armed resistance, and by the mid-1940s, several Jewish underground groups—among them Irgun, Lehi (the Stern Gang), and Haganah—were actively opposing British rule through sabotage, guerrilla warfare, and smuggling operations.
The Irgun, led by Menachem Begin (later Prime Minister of Israel), was among the most militant of these groups. In 1946, as part of the wider “Jewish Revolt” against the British, the Irgun planned a direct assault on the British nerve centre in Palestine: the King David Hotel.
The Bombing: Operation and Execution
On 22 July 1946, Irgun operatives, disguised as Arab workers, infiltrated the hotel’s southern wing—the part of the building housing British military and administrative offices. They carried milk churns filled with approximately 350 kilograms of explosives into the basement.
According to the Irgun, warnings were telephoned to the hotel switchboard, the French Consulate, and the Palestine Post newspaper. The organisation insisted that these warnings were intended to allow sufficient time for evacuation. Whether these warnings were ignored, miscommunicated, or not heeded quickly enough remains a point of bitter dispute.
At 12:37 p.m., the explosives detonated, causing the southern wing to collapse in a thunderous blast. The casualties were severe:
- 91 people killed, including:
- 28 British officials and servicemen
- 41 Arabs
- 17 Jews
- 5 others of varying nationalities
Additionally, 45 people were injured.
The Immediate Aftermath: Condemnation and Political Fallout
The British authorities condemned the bombing as an act of terrorism. Prime Minister Clement Attlee’s government expressed outrage, and British forces responded by intensifying security operations against Jewish underground groups.
The Jewish Agency, then the de facto political leadership of the Jewish community in Palestine, also publicly condemned the attack. However, the relationship between the Haganah (the Jewish Agency’s paramilitary wing) and the Irgun was murky. Some historians suggest that while the Haganah officially disavowed the bombing, it had previously coordinated with Irgun and Lehi in a joint anti-British campaign known as the “United Resistance Movement”. Whether the King David Hotel bombing fell within the scope of this cooperation is still debated.
Internationally, the bombing was met with widespread condemnation. The incident reinforced Britain’s view that the Mandate had become untenable.
Contested Narratives: Terrorism or Liberation?
For decades, the King David Hotel bombing has occupied a contentious space in historical memory.
The British View
From the British perspective, the bombing was a heinous terrorist act. It targeted a civilian hotel, caused indiscriminate casualties, and represented a direct challenge to British authority in Palestine.
The Zionist Perspective
Irgun and its supporters argued that the hotel was a legitimate military target, as it served as the British administrative and security headquarters. Menachem Begin maintained until his death that sufficient warnings had been given and that the British refusal to evacuate had tragically led to the loss of life. To them, it was a calculated military operation against an occupying power.
The Human Cost
What is undisputed is the human toll. Civilians—Jews, Arabs, and others—perished alongside British personnel, making the event not only a military attack but also a humanitarian tragedy.
Legacy and Historical Significance
The King David Hotel bombing significantly escalated the conflict between Zionist paramilitary groups and the British government. It contributed to the growing sense in Britain that the cost of maintaining control over Palestine was becoming unsustainable. Less than two years later, the British would announce their withdrawal, leading to the partition of Palestine and the subsequent establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
The event also continues to spark debate over the definitions of terrorism and legitimate resistance. Today, Israel commemorates the bombing as part of its struggle for independence, while British and Palestinian perspectives largely regard it as an act of terrorism.
In 2006, a commemorative plaque was installed at the hotel, sparking fresh controversy due to its phrasing, which some felt glorified the attack while minimising the British loss of life. After diplomatic protests from the British government, the wording was revised.
History’s Unresolved Edges
The King David Hotel bombing is not simply a historical footnote—it remains a prism through which the conflicting narratives of the British Mandate period are refracted. To some, it symbolises a necessary fight against colonial rule; to others, it stands as a cautionary tale about the human cost of political extremism.
What is clear is that the bombing was a pivotal moment in the disintegration of British power in Palestine and the inexorable march toward the foundation of Israel—a moment where resistance, tragedy, and propaganda collided with lasting global consequences.
Below is a meticulously researched overview, with primary sources, testimonies, and archival insights, seeking to present a balanced account of the King David Hotel bombing of 22 July 1946.
1. Planning the Operation
- Target and rationale
The Irgun planned the bombing partly in response to Operation Agatha (“Black Sabbath”, 29 June 1946), during which British Forces raided the Jewish Agency’s offices and seized documents that linked them to underground militant operations. These documents were later stored at the King David Hotel aurora-israel.co.il+14jewishvirtuallibrary.org+14en.wikipedia.org+14. - Methodology
Irgun operatives, disguised as Arab labourers and waiters, brought milk-outrunning churns containing about 350 kg of TNT and gelignite into the hotel’s basement bar beneath the southern wing en.wikipedia.org+2daat.ac.il+2historytoday.com+2.
2. Warnings to Prevent Casualties
- Tel Aviv sources and Irgun claims
Menachem Begin and Irgun members, including a 16‑year‑old courier known as Adina Hay, later recounted making three calls—first to the hotel switchboard (~12:22 pm), then the French Consulate (~12:27 pm), and finally the Palestine Post (~12:31 pm)—each warning of the impending blast reddit.com+8daat.ac.il+8en.wikipedia.org+8. - Operator testimony
Court documents and police testimony confirm that the Palestine Post operator contacted the CID after receiving the warning, and the French Consulate staff opened windows, showing they had received notice israelnationalnews.com+9daat.ac.il+9lionheartautographs.com+9. - British denial
British authorities, however, insisted no official warnings were received by anyone with the authority to evacuate the building—the Chief Secretary Sir John Shaw denied such receipt jewishvirtuallibrary.org+3en.wikipedia.org+3unpacked.media+3.
3. The Explosion and Its Toll
- The bombs, with 30‑minute fuses, detonated at 12:37 pm, bringing down the entire southern wing of the hotel reddit.com+4daat.ac.il+4en.wikipedia.org+4.
- Casualty figures: 91 people died (28 British, 41 Arab, 17 Jewish, and 5 others), with around 45 injured reddit.com+14daat.ac.il+14jewishvirtuallibrary.org+14.
4. First-Hand Accounts
- Irgun perspectives
One of the telephone operators, Sarah Agassi, said: “I think they didn’t believe we had put a bomb … . The British official … said ‘we don’t take orders from Jews’.” begincenter.evhost.co.il+6dawn.com+6daat.ac.il+6 Nissan, a former female courier, later recounted to The New York Times (1981) that she made the repeated warning calls and waited, baffled, when no evacuation followed en.wikipedia.org+7lionheartautographs.com+7begincenter.evhost.co.il+7. - British admissions
In 1979, MP Lord Greville Janner quoted a British officer who overheard officers joke about the threat and promptly left—suggesting at least some personnel took the warnings seriously historylearningsite.co.uk+2jewishvirtuallibrary.org+2israelnationalnews.com+2.
5. Official Response and Inquiries
- British government: Returned warnings were either denied or not acted upon; an inquest later upheld the official denial .
- Jewish Agency: Despite internal tensions, the Agency, including David Ben‑Gurion, publicly condemned the attack as a “base… act” daat.ac.il.
- Evolving record: In later decades, new evidence emerged supporting Irgun’s claims of warning, despite continuing British resistance haaretz.com+15jewishvirtuallibrary.org+15historylearningsite.co.uk+15.
6. Aftermath and Legacy
- Security crackdown: The bombing prompted a severe British operation codenamed Operation Shark, leading to widespread arrests and tighter security in Tel Aviv and Jaffa bbc.co.uk+10en.wikipedia.org+10israelnationalnews.com+10.
- Historical debate: The bombing is cited by terrorism scholars as a pivotal moment in guerrilla warfare, stirring debates about civilian risk in liberation struggles .
- Commemoration controversy: In 2006, commemorative plaques ignited diplomatic protests. The English version now reads:
“Warning phone calls had been made… urging the hotel’s occupants to leave immediately. The hotel was not evacuated and after 25 minutes the bombs exploded…” begincenter.evhost.co.il+6en.wikipedia.org+6en.wikipedia.org+6.
The King David Hotel bombing was a decisive moment in the unraveling of British rule in Palestine. Its legacy remains contentious:
- Irgun’s claim: They issued warnings to minimise casualties; responsibility lies with the British refusal to evacuate.
- British stance: No official warnings were received; the attack was a deliberate terrorist act with tragic civilian losses.
Documents, archives, and testimonies on both sides provide insight but also fuel enduring debate over intent, forewarning, and responsibility.
