First Arab-Israeli war, 1948 (The war of
independence)
Invasion of Israel by
neighbouring Arab states
(Notably Egypt, Syria and
Jordan + other members of
the Arab League) to
support the Palestinian
Arabs in an attempt to
overthrow the Jewish state
Pattern and
development of the war
Phase 3, Oct 1948- Jan 1949: Israelis now
had upper hand pushing back the
exhausted Arabs, the only Arab force
which fought with distinction was Jordan’s
Arab Legion which held onto Eastern
Jerusalem. The Egyptians were pushed
back to Gaza and the Sinai, the Syrians to
the Golan Heights
Phase 1, May-June 1948: Arabs
pushed deep into Israel, Israelis
fought desperately and seemingly
against the odds managed to hold
off attacks. A UN ceasefire was
agreed in late June.(under Count
Bernadotte)
Phase 2, July-Sept 1948: Jews rearmed and
resupplied during the ceasefire (bought arms from
Czechoslovakia). This enabled them to push back
the Arabs in many places. A second ceasefire was
brokered in late-July. Bernadotte now put forward
proposals for a partitioned Palestine guaranteeing
Arab rights and the return of refuges who had fled
(the Israelis rejected this and Bernadotte was
assassinated by the Stern Gang in Sept 1948)
Reasons for Israeli victory: Palestinian and Arab forces were not as
effective as might be thought (lack of united fighting action, exhaustion
of attack), Arabs also acted in own self-interest (signed separate truces
when it suited, e.g. Jordan when they had taken the West Bank),
effectiveness of the Israelis (Haganah had experience in fighting Arab
rebels, many had fought in WW2 with the British so were well-trained),
1948 ceasefire allowed them to re-supply with better military equipment
(these were largely paid for by foreign donations by Jews, particularly
from the US), the Israelis were fighting for homeland whereas the Arabs
lacked resolution when it became tough
Consequences of the 1948 war:
survival for the state of Israel, the state
of Israel was now over 80% of the land
Palestine had been (more than would
have been allocated in the Partition
Plan. However Egypt still had Gaza,
Jordan the West Bank and Syria the
Golan Heights), mass (about 800,000)
migration of Palestinians refugees into
neighbouring states, Arab states failed
to recognise Israel and vowed to
destroy it. Israel emerged as a nation
on high-alert due to a fear of more
attacks (Fedayeen fighter cross-border
raids). Israel grew swiftly after 1948- in
the next six years the population more
than doubled (from 770,000 to 1.7m)
Nature of support for Israel from USA (and other states): From
1945 the US had supported the creation of Israel, In 1946
President Truman demanded the immediate entry of 100,000
migrating Jews into Israel, in 1947 both the US and USSR
supported the creation of Israel and both were among the first to
recognise it in 1948. this political support was supplemented by
financial support, the US government have the new state of Israel
$65m in aid as a ‘start-up fund’ but million more was donated by
private investors. The US government then turned a blind-eye to
military equipment sold to Israel from the US after 1948. Some
countries did agree to sell equipment directly (e.g. the French who
sold aircraft to the Israeli Air Force in the 1950s)