Overview - First Arab-Israeli War 1948
- Ray Via II
- Dec 5, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 24
The harsh clang of the UN gavel in New York City on November 29, 1947, reverberated far beyond the assembly hall, igniting a firestorm of anger and desperation in Palestine. Resolution 181, the Partition Plan, aimed to carve the British Mandate into Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem set aside as an internationally governed enclave. For the Jewish population, the vote offered a lifeline to sovereignty after centuries of persecution. For the Arab Palestinians, it felt like an insult and a theft of their homeland, condoned by foreign powers. That moment set the stage for a war that would reshape the Middle East.
The Build-Up: The British, exhausted and economically weakened after World War II, had encouraged the formation of the Arab League in 1945. The coalition brought together Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan, and Yemen. On the surface, the League claimed to represent Arab unity. In reality, deep fractures defined the alliance. Transjordan's King Abdullah, guided by British advisors, aimed to annex central Palestine and expand his kingdom. Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia opposed Abdullah's ambitions, fearing regional imbalance and political dominance by Transjordan.
By 1947, mistrust and conflicting agendas paralyzed any chance of a coordinated Arab strategy. The Arab League issued public declarations of unity, but internal rivalries undermined their effectiveness.
The Palestinian Arab leadership, meanwhile, lacked cohesion. Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, remained a polarizing figure. His wartime collaboration with the Axis and his authoritarian leadership style alienated potential allies. Elite families within Palestinian society, most notably the Husseinis and the Nashashibis, often clashed, weakening any unified national resistance. Many prominent Palestinian leaders fled the country during the British withdrawal, leaving a leadership vacuum just as the conflict ignited.
The Spark: Civil War in Palestine. The UN announcement of the Partition Plan immediately triggered violence across Palestine. Arab militias, local volunteers, and the Arab Liberation Army, composed of irregulars and veterans from across the Arab world, launched attacks on Jewish settlements, supply convoys, and urban neighborhoods. These forces used a variety of small arms, including Lee-Enfield rifles, Bren light machine guns, and captured German Mausers.
The Jewish forces responded with organized resistance. The Haganah, a paramilitary force with semi-professional training, quickly mobilized defenses. Armed with surplus British Sten submachine guns, American M1 Carbines, and homemade mortars, the Haganah transitioned from an underground militia into a national defense force. Irgun and LEHI, two smaller militant groups, joined the fight with tactics that included ambushes and car bombings.
The conflict soon transformed into a civil war. In urban centers like Haifa and Jerusalem, violence became relentless. Jewish convoys attempting to reach isolated settlements often faced ambushes. Arab neighborhoods suffered retaliatory strikes. Civilians on both sides lived in fear.
May 14, 1948: Independence and Invasion David Ben-Gurion declared the
establishment of the State of Israel from the Tel Aviv Museum. That same night, Egyptian Air Force Spitfires strafed the city, signaling the start of a coordinated invasion. Arab armies from Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Transjordan crossed the borders of the new state.
Egyptian ground forces rolled into the Negev Desert with Sherman tanks, armored vehicles, and infantry equipped with Enfield rifles and Bren guns. Syrian troops advanced from the north with T-34/85 tanks and heavy artillery. Iraqi units pushed toward central Palestine. Lebanese forces engaged near Galilee.
Transjordan's Arab Legion, trained and commanded by British officers, posed the most formidable challenge to the British. Equipped with Vickers machine guns and Daimler armored cars, the Legion targeted East Jerusalem and launched intense house-to-house combat in the Old City.
Israel fought back with a limited arsenal. Czech-supplied Mauser rifles captured German MG 34 machine guns, and a handful of hastily assembled Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters formed the core of their defense. The Israeli Air Force used converted civilian planes for bombing missions. The Davidka, a homemade mortar firing oversized and inaccurate shells, became a symbol of the early desperation and ingenuity.
Turning the Tide: Israeli Counteroffensives Despite initial setbacks, Israel began to gain momentum. Arms shipments from Eastern Europe arrived through clandestine routes. These supplies included artillery, armored vehicles, and aircraft that strengthened Israel's ability to launch coordinated counteroffensives.
In July 1948, Israel launched Operation Danny to secure the road to Jerusalem. Forces used newly arrived Cromwell tanks and American-built M4 Shermans to breach Arab lines and capture the key towns of Lydda and Ramle. In the south, Operation Yoav broke the Egyptian siege of the Negev, opening a path to Beersheba. In the north, Operation Hiram expelled Syrian and Lebanese forces and restored control over the Galilee.
Israeli forces benefited from superior logistics, centralized command, and strategic mobility. The Palmach, Israel's elite strike force, executed complex maneuvers with discipline and speed. Former World War II veterans from the Jewish diaspora, known as Machal, brought valuable combat experience and training skills to the Israeli Defense Forces. These volunteers helped transform the Haganah into the Israel Defense Forces.
The Arab side, by contrast, suffered from poor coordination and fractured leadership. Political divisions between Arab states resulted in limited cooperation. Egyptian generals clashed with King Farouk's palace over strategic goals. Syria's unstable government undermined its military focus. Transjordan prioritized its territorial gains in the West Bank over a unified Arab strategy.
Jerusalem: Divided and Embattled. The battle for Jerusalem became a brutal microcosm of the wider war. The Jewish Quarter of the Old City fell to the Arab Legion after prolonged fighting. Jewish forces managed to hold West Jerusalem, but the city became physically divided. A barbed-wire frontier and military checkpoints separated neighborhoods for nearly two decades. Convoys attempting to resupply besieged Jewish sectors faced repeated ambushes until Israeli forces opened the Burma Road—a makeshift bypass route through the Judean Hills.
The Nakba: Displacement and Refugees. As the war raged, more than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes. Some fled in fear of fighting; others left due to forced expulsion during military operations. The most notable incidents included the massacre at Deir Yassin and the mass flight from Lydda and Ramle. These events formed the core of the Palestinian Nakba, or "catastrophe." Families were scattered across neighboring Arab countries, where many remained in refugee camps for generations. The refugee crisis created enduring tensions and fueled demands for a right of return that remains unresolved.
International Involvement: Cold War Underpinnings Although the Cold War had only just begun, both superpowers played pivotal roles. The United States offered early recognition to the new State of Israel, while the Soviet Union supported Jewish independence in a rare moment of alignment. Soviet-bloc nations, especially Czechoslovakia, supplied Israel with crucial weapons and aircraft. Meanwhile, a United Nations arms embargo punished both sides on paper, but it hurt Arab states more, as most relied on British and French suppliers who were more closely adhering to the embargo.
The Aftermath: Armistice and New Borders. By early 1949, Israeli forces had seized the initiative. The Egyptian Army withdrew to Gaza, Syrian troops retreated to the border, and the Arab Legion entrenched itself in the West Bank. Israel signed separate armistice agreements with Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. These agreements formalized ceasefires but left no final peace.
Israel emerged not only with sovereignty but with 50 percent more territory than assigned by the UN Partition Plan. Egypt retained control of the Gaza Strip, while Transjordan annexed the West Bank and East Jerusalem. No Palestinian state emerged from the war.
For Israel, the War of Independence established a nation in defiance of overwhelming odds. For the Arab states, the conflict revealed their disunity, exposed their military shortcomings, and sowed the seeds of long-term instability. Palestinian displacement, the division of Jerusalem, and unratified ceasefires laid the groundwork for future wars and continued suffering.
Ben-Gurion's declaration on May 14 evolved into a bold challenge to the region and the world. It marked the beginning of a state born through fire and defended with resolve. The war left behind a legacy of pride and trauma that both Israelis and Arabs still carry today.
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