The Jews came to settle and were outnumbered and outgunned by the Arabs (not yet called “Palestinians”).
The Arabs initiated riots (then called "revolts", now, "intifadas") many times, (1921, 1929, 1936-39) slaughtering Jewish men, women and children.
The League of Nations and then the UN tried to settle the issues with resolutions and Commissions, the Arabs REJECTED EVERY COMPROMISE, the Jews accepted.
It took time, but the Jews set up militias to DEFEND themselves against marauding Arabs. These militias were called “HaShomair”, the Guard.
By the mid-1930’s the Jews saw storm clouds gathering in Europe. They asked the British to let in more Jewish refugees. The Arabs rejected this utterly, the British (then as now) caved into Arab pressure). The Jews died in Europe.
The Jews formed the HAGANAH (Defense), STERN GANG, ETZEL GANG to stop Arab attacks while STERN and ETZEL took a more aggressive approach, attacking British Forces in Mandate Palestine.
Mind you, the Jews volunteered to fight with the British against the Nazis forming the “Jewish Brigade”. The Arabs helped the Axis powers.
Those headlines are appropriate for our era as well but the Jews were never looking for a fight, the Arabs were looking and still are. Look at what the Arabs do to Arabs, just for fun - they slaughter each other for lunch.
Can you reason or compromise? Maybe but along the way you'll be DEFENDING your life due to no choice on the part of the Jews.
Hagana is Tzahal, or Tzva Hagana Leumi. On the eve of independence, the Etzel, or Irgun Tzva Leumi, and “Stern Gang,” more properly known as Lehi for Lohamei Herut Yisrael, merged into Tzahal and formed one organization. Originally, Etzel was Tzahal, but broke away from it because Yaakov Meridor and company perceived the British as the enemy, especially after the sinking of the Struma. But they didn’t become a truly effective fighting force against the British until 1944, when Menahem Begin assumed the leadership. Lehi became known as the “Stern Gang” because of its leader, Moshe Stern, a very daring, swashbuckly sort of guy, who was eventually captured by the British unarmed, and killed in captivity, causing the infuriated Sternists to become the most fanatically militant of the three. They were the ones responsible for the assassination of Lord Moynh (sp?). In addition to fighting Arabs or British, all three organizations were also involved with smuggling in Jewish refugees from Europe, running the British blockade and providing false identities to the ma’pilim.