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The Haganah, Israel's pre-state defense force, was a paramilitary organization established in 1920 to protect Jewish settlements in Mandatory Palestine. Initially a small, underground force, the Haganah grew over the years to become a well-organized and effective military organization, playing a crucial role in the defense of Jewish communities during the 1920s and 1930s, and ultimately, in the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.