Neturei Karta Aramaic for “Guardians of the City.” A group of ultra-
orthodox Jews who reject all forms of Zionism and actively oppose
the existence of the State of Israel. Other Orthodox Jewish commu-
nities, including some who also oppose Zionism, have denounced
Neturei Karta’s extremist anti-Israel activities.
Sayan(pl. sayanim) Hebrew for “local assistant.”
Stern Group Also known as Lehi(the acronym for the Hebrew Lo-
hamei Herut Israel: “Fighters for the Freedom of Israel”). The Stern
Group was named for its founder and leader, Yair Stern. It was an un-
derground militia during the British Mandate in Palestine and was
considered by the British to be a radical terrorist group whose goal
was the eviction of the British from Palestine to allow unrestricted
immigration of Jews and the formation of a Jewish state. The British
authorities termed the group the “Stern Gang.”
Yishuv Hebrew for “settlement.” This term was used in the Zionist
movement, before the creation of the State of Israel, to refer to the col-
lective body of Jews who lived in the Land of Israel, or Palestine,
whether long-standing inhabitants or new settlers. It first came into use
in the 1880s, when some 25,000 Jews lived in Palestine, and continued
to be used until the rise of Israeli statehood in 1948, by which time there
were about 700,000 Jews in the country. Sometimes the “Old Yishuv,”
meaning Jews living in Palestine under Ottoman rule before 1918, is
distinguished from the “New Yishuv,” meaning the much larger Jewish
settlement of Palestine under the British Mandate after 1922.GLOSSARY•34506-102 (10) Gloss.qxd 3/24/06 7:35 AM Page 345