Exhaustive Study Guide: The Israeli War of Independence

Key Figures and Military Organizations

• David Ben-Gurion: The primary Jewish leader who ordered the sinking of the Irgun ship Altalena and declared the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14th, 1948.

• Menachem Begin: The leader of the Irgun (a paramilitary group) during the War of Independence and the Altalena Affair. He famously ordered his men not to fire back during the Altalena incident to avoid a Jewish civil war.

• The Sonneborn Institute: An organization that played a critical role in the survival of the young Jewish state by providing essential supplies, specifically ammunition and guns.

• Lehi and Irgun: These groups represented approximately $5\%$ of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the conflict. While they were involved in controversial actions like Deir Yassin, the mainstream Haganah and IDF leadership often condemned their specific tactics or crimes.

• Haganah/IDF: The primary Jewish defense forces. Following the declaration of the state, the Haganah transitioned into the Israel Defense Forces, seeking to centralize military authority under Ben-Gurion's government.

Statistics and Casualties of the War

• Demographic Impact: The War of Independence was exceptionally costly for the Jewish state; approximately $1\%$ of Israel’s total population was killed during the conflict.

• Deir Yassin Casualties:

  • Israeli View: Estimates approximately $150$ fighters and civilians died as collateral damage during the battle for the village.

  • Arab View: Asserts that a massacre occurred, claiming $200+$ Arab women and children were murdered.

• Hadassah Convoy Massacre: A total of $78$ Jewish individuals—comprised of patients, doctors, and nurses—were murdered by Arab forces in a single attack shortly after the Deir Yassin incident.

The Declaration of the State (May 14, 1948)

• Timing of the Declaration: David Ben-Gurion declared the state on May 14th, 1948, the same day the British Mandate expired and just hours before the imminent invasion by five Arab armies.

• Strategic Rationales for the Declaration:

  • International Recognition: Israel sought formal recognition before the outbreak of a full-scale war, as global powers might have been less likely to support the state if they expected the Jews to fall in combat.

  • Diplomatic Support: Israel had the support of the United States and other nations at that moment; however, there was no guarantee that this support would persist once the war began.

  • Uncertainty of War: Ben-Gurion was fully aware that the result of the upcoming war was unpredictable, making the legal establishment of the state a priority while the opportunity existed.

  • The British Mandate: The timing was chosen to specifically occur a day after the British left, demonstrating to the world that it was Britain who had failed the mandate and that the Jewish state would wait until the mandatory power had officially vacated.

• Global Perspectives on Survival:

  • Half a year after the United Nations Partition Plan vote (November 1947), much of the world was skeptical about the Jewish state's survival.

  • The world observed that Israel was vastly outnumbered by five invading Arab armies.

  • Proponents of the state argued that the world should support Israel because it had accepted the peaceful partition in 1947 and was a legally established entity, whereas the five invading armies were attempting to destroy a legal state.

Military Dynamics and the Arab Invasion

• The Invading Armies: Upon the expiration of the British Mandate, five Arab nations invaded Israel: Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt.

• Assumptions of an Arab Victory: The Arab side expected a swift and easy victory based on several factors:

  • The Jews possessed little to no air force at the start of the war.

  • The total population and troop numbers were heavily skewed against the Jews.

  • The Jewish nation was extremely young and lacked military experience compared to established state armies.

  • The role of the British was perceived as biased towards the Arabs, as they did not allow Jews to establish a defense fairly during the Mandate period.

• Defense of Kibbutz Yad Mordechai: This location is cited as a site of a heroic defense put up by Jewish forces against the advancing Egyptian army.

• Territorial Outcomes: Contrary to the fear of loss, Israel's victory resulted in the state gaining more land than was originally proposed in the 1947 Partition Plan Map.

Critical Incidents: Deir Yassin and the Hadassah Convoy

• Deir Yassin (Israeli Perspective):

  • The village was strategically located on the way to Jerusalem and was used to fire upon Jewish convoys.

  • The village was known to house active fighters.

  • The casualties are viewed as either collateral damage of brutal urban warfare or as crimes committed by the Lehi/Irgun factions ($5\%$ of the IDF), which were subsequently condemned by the Haganah majority.

• Deir Yassin (Arab Perspective):

  • The event is viewed as a massacre intended to instill fear in the Arab population.

  • The narrative claims a policy of murder was adopted by Jewish forces to clear the way for statehood.

• Hadassah Convoy Massacre: This event occurred almost immediately after Deir Yassin. It involved an attack on a convoy clearly carrying non-combatants, including medical staff and patients. It is used as a counter-point to demonstrate that both sides in the conflict committed brutal acts, and it highlights the refusal of the Arab side to agree to the peaceful 1947 Partition.

The Altalena Affair

• The Ship's Cargo: The Altalena was an Irgun ship carrying guns, ammunition, and refugees. These refugees were intended to serve as future fighters for the Irgun faction.

• Ben-Gurion’s Motivation: David Ben-Gurion viewed the ship and the arrival of arms specifically for the Irgun as a direct threat to the unity of the newly formed IDF. He feared that a separate, well-armed faction would lead to a fractured military and challenge the authority of the central government.

• The Outcome: Ben-Gurion ordered the IDF to fire upon the ship, resulting in chaos and the sinking of the vessel and its supplies. Menachem Begin’s refusal to allow his men to return fire is credited with preventing a full-scale civil war within the Jewish population during the middle of the War of Independence.

Questions & Discussion

• Question 1: Where was a heroic defense put up against the Egyptians?

  • Response: Kibbutz Yad Mordechai (Note: Other options provided were Gush Etzion, Latrun, and Kfar Szold).

• Question 2: Who ordered the sinking of the Irgun ship Altalena?

  • Response: David Ben-Gurion (Note: Other options provided were Yitzhak Rabin, Menachem Begin, and Yigal Yadin).

• Question 3: What percentage of Israel’s population is killed in the War of Independence?

  • Response: $1\%$.

• Question 4: The Sonneborn Institute helped the young Jewish State survive the war with:

  • Response: Ammunition and guns.

• Question 5: Why did the Arabs expect an easy victory?

  • Response: Primarily because the numbers were not in the Jews’ favor and the Jewish nation was young and inexperienced (Factors listed: little to no airforce, numerical disadvantage, British bias, lack of experience).

• Question 6 (True/False): In November 1947, the Jewish state was declared by Ben Gurion!

  • Response: False (The UN voted on partition in Nov 1947; the declaration was in May 1948).

• Question 7 (True/False): As the British left the Mandate on May 14th, 1948, 5 Arab Armies invaded Israel.

  • Response: True.

• Question 8 (True/False): The 5 Arab Armies who invaded included: Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt.

  • Response: True.

• Question 9 (True/False): Britain was arguably biased against Israel and the Jews, as they didn't let the Jews establish a defense against the Arabs fairly.

  • Response: True.

• Question 10 (True/False): Israel lost much land in their victory from their previously proposed Partition Plan Map.

  • Response: False (Israel actually gained land).

• Question 11a: David Ben Gurion decided to declare a state on May 14th, 1948. Why do you think he decided a few hours after learning about 5 Arab armies' invasion clearly on the horizon?! Was this responsible?!

  • Response: He wanted international recognition before the war began, as support from the USA and others might vanish if the war went poorly. He also wanted to establish that Britain had failed the mandate. Whether it was responsible is a matter of debate, given the risk of immediate destruction.

• Question 11b: What was the world thinking at this time about a Jewish State’s survival?

  • Response: Many doubted it would survive being outnumbered by five armies. However, some argued for support because Israel was following the legal 1947 partition plan while the Arab armies were the aggressors.

• Question 12a: Where is Deir Yassin and what happened there?

  • Response: It is a village on the way to Jerusalem. According to Arabs, it was a massacre of over $200$ women and children. According to Israelis, it was a battle that resulted in collateral damage ($150$ deaths), or crimes committed by a small faction (Lehi/Irgun) that were later condemned by the Haganah.

• Question 12b: After Deir Yassin, the Hadassah Convoy Massacre occurred (78 dead). Does this change the view of the Arab point of view?

  • Response: The text suggests that both sides committed brutal acts during the war, emphasizing that war is destructive and that the rejection of the 1947 partition led to this cycle of violence.

• Question 13a: What was the Altalena carrying?

  • Response: Guns, ammunition, and refugees who would become Irgun fighters.

• Question 13b: How did Ben-Gurion see this as a threat to the war?

  • Response: He saw the Irgun getting stronger as a threat to the unity and authority of the IDF (central state military).

• Question 13c: What was Irgun leader Menachem Begin trying to prevent?

  • Response: He was trying to prevent a Civil War by ordering his men not to fire back.