[[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] 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] 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, [[USA|American]]-oriented society, which led to him not being fully accepted by the Iraqi-Jewish community in [[Tehran]].[^1] 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 [[USA|United States]].[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")