Etzel is more commonly known as the Irgun (Irgun is shorthand for Ha'Irgun Ha'Tsvai Ha'Leumi B'Eretz Yisrael which is Hebrew for National Military Organization in the Land of Israel; Etzel is the transliteration of the acronym of the Hebrew initials of Ha'Irgun Ha'Tsvai Ha'Leumi B'Eretz Yisrael.) The Irgun was the military arm of the right wing revisionist Zionists in Palestine. It was formed in 1931 as a breakaway organization of the Haganah, which was the military arm of the Jewish Agency Executive. The Jewish Agency Executive was the shadow government of the Jewish community in pre-State Palestine and was controlled by the left wing labour Zionist parties. The revisionist formed their own military arm b/c they believed that the Haganah's military doctrine which was based on self-defence was too passive. While essentially a terrorist organization, the Irgun/Etzel, should not be confused with the even more extreme and "terroristic" Lehi (aka, Stern Gang. Lehi is the Hebrew acronym for Lohamei Herut Israel, or "Fighters for the Freedom of Israel" in English). In 1940, the Lehi was a "breakaway" organization from the Irgun after the Irgun called a truce with the British during WWII (The Lehi even offered to actively assist the Nazi's in undermining the British position in Palestine during the War, but I digress.) (Stuart Kohn)