Israel’s Wars & Operations: War of Independence

Reference Information

• Background & Overview
  • Analysis of 1948 War
  • Muslim Brotherhood Threatens Jews Refuses to Accept Israel (August 2, 1948)
  • U.S. State Department Summary of the War
• Total Casualties
• War Maps
• Myths & Facts
• Arab League Declaration on the Invasion of Palestine
• FBI Investigations of the Haganah
• CIA Daily Summaries Regarding Partition and the 1948 War
• CIA Evaluation of the Mideast Situation Following the 1948 War (January 19, 1949)
• Report to the Zionist General Council by David Ben-Gurion 
• U.S. and Canadian Machal Volunteers

Truce

• The First Truce
• The Second Truce
  • UN Mediator Asks US For Marines to Protect Jerusalem (July 20, 1948)
  • State Opposes UN Mediator’s Request for Marines in Jerusalem (July 21, 1948)
  • CIA Report on Possible Developments from Second Truce in 1948 War (July 27, 1948)
  • Updated CIA Report on Possible Developments from the Palestine Truce (August 31, 1948)
  • Map of Military Situation at Beginning of Second Truce (July 18, 1948)
• The Bernadotte Truce Plan
  • Text of the Bernadotte Plan (June 28, 1948)
  • Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator in Palestine (September 16, 1948)
• Call to the Parties to Cease-Fire (December 29, 1948)

Armistice

• Israel Accepts the Armistice (November 18, 1948)
• Armistice Lines — 1949 [map]
• Israel-Egypt Armistice Agreement
• Israel-Jordan Armistice Agreement
• Israel-Lebanon Armistice Agreement
• Israel-Syria Armistice Agreement
• Letter to Security Council on Armistice Negotiations

Other Documents

• Weizmann Asks Truman to Ensure Negev Remains Part of Israel (November 5, 1948)
• Message from MI5 Director Regarding Begin Visit to Washington (October 15, 1948)
• Possible Effects of a UN Arms Embargo on Israel and the Arabs (August 5, 1948)
• Recommendation that US Oppose British Raising Jewish DPs and Arab Refugees in Security Council (July 28, 1948)
• Demilitarization of Mt. Scopus (July 7, 1948)
• Weizmann Letter to Truman Following Meeting (May 26, 1948)
• Weizmann Meets Truman, Asks for Arms and Loan (May 26, 1948)
• Aide-Mémoire Given By Weizmann to Truman on Urgent Israeli Needs (May 25, 1948)
• State Department Near East Director Henderson Accuses Zionists of Aggression Against Arabs of Palestine (May 25, 1948)
• Call to the Parties to Cease-fire (May 22, 1948)

Battles & Operations

• Arab Armies Invade
  • Map of the Invasion
  • Arab League Invasion Declaration
  • Israeli PM Ben-Gurion’s Broadcast after Invasion
• The Battle for Degania
• The Battle For Gush Etzion
• The Battle For Jerusalem in the War of Independence
• The Battle for the Roads
• Operation Assaf
• Operation Danny
• Operation Dekel
• Operation Hamez
• Operation “Horev”
• Operation Nachshon
• Operation Uvda
• Operation “Yiftach”
• Operation “Yoav”
• The Old City Saga [Memoir of the Fight]
  • Haganah Intelligence Report Regarding Jerusalem
• The Bombing of the King David Hotel
• Sinking the Emir Farouk
• The First IAF Fighter Mission
• Deir Yassin
• The Negev and The South
• British Police Report on the Arab Evacuation of Haifa

Aftermath

• The Founding of the Israel Defense Forces
• Jewish Refugees From Palestine/Israel
• The Palestinian Refugees
  • The Arab Refugees: 1948 [map]
• The Jewish Refugees: 1948-1972 [map]
• POW Exchanges
• Prime Minister Ben-Gurion Remarks on Israeli Victory (January 12, 1949)
• Machal Volunteers
• U.S. Threatens Israel Over Actions Following 1948 War
• Weizmann Asks Truman to Intervene with British Over Armistice with Egypt (January 11, 1949)
•  Israel's Position on its Frontiers, Statement to the Knesset by Foreign Minister Sharett (June 15, 1949)
• Weizmann Explains Israeli Position at Lausanne Negotiations (June 24, 1949)