Leaders War of Independence

Yom HaZikaron Special Feature

The Leaders in the War of Independence

Israel’s War of Independence was the first war between the State of Israel and its neighboring Arab countries. It started on the eve of the establishment of the State (May 14, 1948) and continued until January 1949. The war broke out following the rejection of the United Nations’ Partition Plan, Resolution 181 of the General Assembly (November 29, 1947), by the Arab states and the Arab Higher Committee. Israeli forces were led and commanded by many brave men. Here are just some of them.

32 | DAVID BEN-GURION was the YIGAL ALLON was an Israeli SHIMON AVIDAN was an primary national founder of politician, a commander of Israeli soldier and officer, the State of Israel and the the Palmach, and a gen- the commander of the Givati The first Prime Minister of Israel. eral in the IDF. He served as Brigade during the War of He was the preeminent leader of one of the leaders of the Achdut Independence. During the war, the Jewish community in British Mandate HaAvoda party and the Israeli Labor he was the operational commander of Palestine from 1935 until the establish- party, and acting Prime Minister of Israel. Operation Nachshon, Operation Barak, Leaders ment of the State of Israel in 1948, which He was a Knesset member and govern- Operation Pleshet and Operation An-Far. he led until 1963 with a short break in ment minister from the third Knesset to His troops also fought at Nitzanim as well in the 1954-55. Ben-Gurion led Israel during the ninth. as joining Operation Death to the Invader the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and united and Operation Yoav. the various Jewish militias into the Israel YITZHAK RABIN was an Defense Forces (IDF). Israeli politician, statesman MOSHE CARMEL was an and general. He was the fifth Israeli soldier and politician War of YISRAEL GALILI was an Israeli Prime Minister of Israel, serv- who served as Minister of politician, government minis- ing two terms in office, 1974–77, Transportation for eight years. ter and member of Knesset. and 1992 until his assassination in 1995. During the War of Independence, Independence He was appointed Chief of As a teenager, he joined the Palmach, he was commander of the Carmeli Bri- Staff of the Haganah in 1946 and eventually rising through its ranks to gade, which was especially known for served in that capacity until June 1948. become its chief of operations during Operation Hiram, aimed at capturing the Israel’s War of Independence. He joined Upper Galilee region from the Arab Lib- YAAKOV DORI was the first the newly formed Israel Defense Forces eration Army (ALA) forces led by Fawzi Chief of Staff of the Israel in late 1948 and continued to rise as a al-Qawuqji and a Syrian battalion. The Defense Forces (IDF). He promising officer. operation, which lasted just 60 hours was also the President of the (October 29–31), was marked by heavy Technion – Israel Institute of DAVID SHALTIEL was an fighting between Arabs and Jews and Technology. When the IDF was formed, Israeli military and intelli- ended just before the ceasefire with the Dori took over as its first Chief of Staff. gence officer, later also dip- neighboring Arab countries went into lomat, most well known for effect. YIGAEL YADIN was an Israeli being the Jerusalem district com- archeologist, soldier and pol- mander of the Haganah during the War of YITZCHAK SADEH was the itician. He was the second Independence. commander of the Palmach Chief of Staff of the Israel and one of the founders of Defense Forces and Deputy MOSHE DAYAN was an Israeli the Israel Defense Forces. At Prime Minister from 1977 to 1981. He military leader and politi- the beginning of 1948, Sadeh served as Israel’s Head of Operations cian. As commander of the was in command of the Haganah training during the War of Independence and was Jerusalem front in the War of camp at Mishmar HaEmek. In early April responsible for many of the key decisions Independence, Chief of Staff of he successfully defended the kibbutz made during the course of that war. the Israel Defense Forces (1953–58) against a full-scale attack by the Arab Lib- during the 1956 Suez Crisis, but mainly as eration Army. In the counter-attack that DAVID DANIEL “MICKEY” Defense Minister during the Six-Day War MARCUS was a United States followed, his troops conquered a large in 1967, he became a fighting symbol of section of the Jezreel Valley. At the end Army colonel who assisted the new State of Israel. In 1947, Dayan Israel during the War of Inde- of April, he commanded two Brigades in a was appointed to the Haganah General series of attacks on strategic areas in and pendence, and became Israel’s Staff working on Arab affairs, in particu- around Jerusalem, Operation Yevusi.  first modern general. He was killed by lar recruiting agents to gain information friendly fire when he was mistaken for an about irregular Arab forces in Palestine. enemy infiltrator while returning to Israeli positions at night.

Photos: Wikipedia

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