17 lines
1.6 KiB
Markdown
17 lines
1.6 KiB
Markdown
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category: "Extremism & Violent Networks"
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tags:
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- Person
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summary: "In Palestine in 1940, Gourdji was involved with LEHI (Fighters for the Liberation of Israel), also known as the Stern Gang, a Jewish terrorist group."
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---
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[[Gourdji]] was the father of [[Ari Ben-Menashe]]. He received a French education at the Alliance School in [[Baghdad]]. Before settling in [[Iran]], he traveled extensively, including to [[India]], [[France]], [[Palestine]], and the [[Soviet Union]].[^1]
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In [[Palestine]] in 1940, [[Gourdji]] was involved with [[LEHI]] (Fighters for the Liberation of [[Israel]]), also known as the [[Stern Gang]], a Jewish terrorist group. He knew [[Yitzhak Shamir]], who was also part of the [[Stern Gang]].[^1]
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He established an import-export business in [[Iran]] with his brother and later acquired the [[Mercedes Benz]]/Bosch car and spare-parts franchise for [[Iran]] in the 1950s. Despite his business success, he yearned to move to [[Israel]] when the political climate allowed. [[Gourdji]] held socialist sympathies and an unusual philosophy for his affluent, capitalist, [[United States|American]]-oriented society, which led to him not being fully accepted by the Iraqi-Jewish community in [[Tehran]].[^1]
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He supported the [[Gahal]] (later the [[Likud Party]]), a merger of [[Menachem Begin|Menachem Begin's]] Herut Party and the [[Israel Liberal Party]], due to his view of the [[Labor Party]] as self-serving and intertwined with the [[United States|United States]].[^1]
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### Footnotes
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[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.
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