---
category: Other
summary: 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.
tags:
- Person
---

[Gourdji](/people/gourdji/) was the father of [Ari Ben-Menashe](/people/ari-ben-menashe/). He received a French education at the Alliance School in [Baghdad](/places/baghdad/). Before settling in [Iran](/places/iran/), he traveled extensively, including to [India](/places/india/), [France](/places/france/), [Palestine](/places/palestine/), and the [Soviet Union](/places/soviet-union/).[^1]

In [Palestine](/places/palestine/) in 1940, [Gourdji](/people/gourdji/) was involved with [LEHI](/organizations/lehi/) (Fighters for the Liberation of [Israel](/places/israel/)), also known as the [Stern Gang](/organizations/stern-gang/), a Jewish terrorist group. He knew [Yitzhak Shamir](/people/yitzhak-shamir/), who was also part of the [Stern Gang](/organizations/stern-gang/).[^1]

He established an import-export business in [Iran](/places/iran/) with his brother and later acquired the Mercedes Benz/Bosch car and spare-parts franchise for [Iran](/places/iran/) in the 1950s. Despite his business success, he yearned to move to [Israel](/places/israel/) when the political climate allowed. [Gourdji](/people/gourdji/) held socialist sympathies and an unusual philosophy for his affluent, capitalist, [American](/places/united-states/)-oriented society, which led to him not being fully accepted by the Iraqi-Jewish community in [Tehran](/places/tehran/).[^1]

He supported the Gahal (later the [Likud Party](/organizations/likud-party/)), a merger of [Menachem Begin's](/people/menachem-begin/) Herut Party and the Israel Liberal Party, due to his view of the [Labor Party](/organizations/labor-party/) as self-serving and intertwined with the [United States](/places/united-states/).[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.