Palmach

The Palmach ( פלמ " ח ) is the unit of combat of shock of the Hagana, which undertakes its activities over one period extending from the Second world war until the independence of the State of Israel. It is about an animated unit of fraternal feelings and basing itself on values Zionists and social.

Palmach is created in 1941 by Yitzhak Sadeh whereas the Palestine lives under the threat of an opening of the forces Nazie S directed by Rommel, present then on the African continent. By a common agreement between the staff of Hagana and that of the British army, it is decided creation of a force made up of young people Juif S enlisted within the British army, and which will have the role of fighting the forces Nazis. The unit is armed and pulled by the English, which inculcates to them the bases of the military combat and sabotage. Palmach is made up:

of nine squadrons, whose formation include/understand inter alia patrouillages, a physical drive and knowledge of the country on the ground;
of a squadron, the Palyam , formed with the operations at sea;
of units of commandos, baptized " Peter Haas" , made up of Jewish volunteers originating in Germany and prepared with the infiltrations behind the enemy lines;
of the unit " Balkan" , parachuted unit.

The first action of Palmach is taken in 1941 by 23 committed ordered by a British officer. The goal of the mission is to sabotage an arms factory installed in Syria, then under the responsibility of the France of Vichy. The traces of the whole of the commando are lost until our days.

With the exit of the Second world war, Palmach plays a central role in the fight against the policy of the government British, hostile agent with the Jewish population. It is Palmach which organizes the release of the refugee camp of Atlit. Follow actions of sabotage of bridges, stations of radars, vehicles police, ships of patrol and boats of the royal marine British, whose role is to hail the tubs charged with illegal immigrants. Palmach takes an active part in the illegal immigration and the accosting of the boats on the coasts of the Ground of Israel.

Develops within the unit of strong feelings of fraternity between the volunteers and their officers. In addition to their military preparation, the members of Palmach are also trained with the work of the ground for future establishments. They found fine 1944 besides the Kibboutz Beït-Keshet.

At the time of the pogroms of 1947 perpetrated by the Arab against the Jewish population, it is Palmach, extremely of its fighting experiment, which is in charge of the counter-attacks. During the time ranging between on November 29th 1947, date on which UNO decides creation of a Jewish state, and on May 14th 1948, day of the Déclaration of Independence of the State of Israel, the principal activity of Palmach holds in the fight for the seizure on the roads, in the protection of the Jewish convoys, the attacks against the Arab armed bands and in the catch with the enemy positions. With the birth of Tsahal, the Army of Defense of Israel, Hagana and with it Palmach are integrated within the young army. The majority of the officers of the special units of Tsahal result in fact from the rows of Palmach. November 7th, 1948, the government of Israel decides dismantling of the staff of Palmach, by arguing this decision by the fact that with the creation of the country and its army, Tsahal and its units must obey only one and single higher authority, from where the uselessness of a staff parralèle.

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