Moshe Barazani, also Barzani ( he, משה ברזני; June 14, 1926 – April 21, 1947), was an Iraqi-born Kurdish Jew and a member of

Lehi Lehi (; he, לח"י – לוחמי חרות ישראל ''Lohamei Herut Israel – Lehi'', "Fighters for the Freedom of Israel – Lehi"), often known pejoratively as the Stern Gang,"This group was known to its friends as LEHI and to its enemie ...

("Freedom Fighters of Israel," aka the "Stern Gang") underground movement in pre-state Mandate Palestine during the Jewish insurgency in Palestine. He is most notable for having committed suicide with a hand grenade together with

Meir Feinstein Meir Feinstein ( he, מאיר פיינשטיין; October 5, 1927 – April 21, 1947) was an Irgun member in pre-state Mandatory Palestine, during the Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine. Feinstein, who was sentenced to death by the British ...

, another Jewish underground fighter under sentence of death, shortly before their scheduled executions, and is memorialized in Israel today as one of the Olei Hagardom.

Early life

Barazani was born in Baghdad to a Kurdish Jewish family from Barzan. The family moved to Jerusalem when he was six. At an early age, he began working, initially as a carpenter's apprentice, and then in a soft drinks factory.

Underground activity

Barazani joined Lehi at an early age, following in the footsteps of his brother. Initially, he was a member of Lehi's youth division and posted propaganda leaflets, but later joined the fighting force. He participated in numerous sabotage operations, laying mines to destroy British vehicles and taking part in railway sabotage. On March 9, 1947, Barazani was sent on a mission to assassinate a senior British officer, Brigadier A.P. Davies, with a grenade. He was stopped and searched by a British patrol which found him near the Schneller Camp, a British installation in Jerusalem. A grenade was found in his pocket, and he was arrested. On March 17, 1947, he was tried before a military court on charges of illegal weapons possession and conspiracy to murder, convicted, and sentenced to death.

Suicide

Graves of Moshe Barazani and Meir Feinstein, 2014

While awaiting execution in the Central Prison in Jerusalem's Russian Compound, he met Irgun fighter

, who had also been sentenced to death. On April 21, 1947, shortly before their scheduled executions, they committed suicide with an improvised

grenade A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade genera ...

which had been smuggled inside a hollowed-out orange. The two embraced each other with the live grenade lodged between them. The story of Feinstein and Barazani became a celebrated tale in Zionism.

Menachem Begin Menachem Begin ( ''Menaḥem Begin'' (); pl, Menachem Begin (Polish documents, 1931–1937); ''Menakhem Volfovich Begin''; 16 August 1913 – 9 March 1992) was an Israeli politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of Israel. B ...

, leader of Irgun and later prime minister of Israel, was buried next to them on the Mount of Olives in accordance with his will. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of Barazani's death, a state ceremony was held at the

Museum of the Underground Prisoners Museum of Underground Prisoners is a museum in Jerusalem, commemorating the activity of the Jewish underground—Haganah, Irgun and Lehi—during the period leading up the establishment of the State of Israel. History of the building The museu ...

in Jerusalem in 2007.'The good jailer' returns Irgun hero's Bible 60 years later

Jerusalem Post ''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper w ...

, April 19, 2007

References

External links

Moshe BarazaniThe last words of Barazani and Feinstein
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barazani, Moshe 1926 births 1947 suicides Kurdish Jews Iraqi Kurdish people Lehi (militant group) People from Baghdad Iraqi Jews Olei Hagardom People who committed suicide in prison custody Prisoners who died in British military detention Burials at the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives Iraqi emigrants to Mandatory Palestine Prisoners sentenced to death by the British military Suicides by explosive device Deaths by hand grenade Iraqi people who died in prison custody Palestinian people who died in prison custody