Jewish Legion

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Jewish Legion
Jewish Legion soldiers in 1919
Active	1917–1921
Country	Mandatory Palestine
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Size	5,000 Jewish troops
Engagements	World War I Sinai and Palestine campaign Battle of Megiddo

The Jewish Legion was a series of battalions of Jewish soldiers who served in the British Army during World War I. Some participated in the British conquest of Palestine from the Ottomans.

The formation of the battalions had several motives: the expulsion of the Ottomans, gaining military experience, and the hope that their contribution would favorably influence the support for a Jewish national home in the land when a new world order was established after the war. The idea for the battalions was proposed by Pinhas Rutenberg, Dov Ber Borochov, and Ze'ev Jabotinsky, and carried out by Jabotinsky and Joseph Trumpeldor, who aspired for the battalions to become the independent military force of the Yishuv in Eretz Yisrael.

Their vision did not fully materialize, as the battalions were disbanded shortly after the war. However, their activities significantly contributed to the establishment of defense organizations like the Haganah and the Irgun (which later became the foundation for the Israel Defense Forces).