The+Blockade+of+Jerusalem

toc

=Rationale=

When I sat down to think about what I was going to do my project on, I saw this task as an opportunity to focus on something that interests me, and that I think is important and am connected to.

I always felt that I didn’t know enough about the early days of our country, about- 1948. Both as in Israeli and a Jew it hurt me that I didn’t know very much. After all, it is my history, our history, and the story of our people, and our life.

Jerusalem is the center of the world, Israel and my heart. I decided I was going to focus on what the things I knew little or nothing about. I decided I would go 69 years back in time to see how it was in that time, what the people were like, what they went through, how important Jerusalem was to them, and what they were willing to give up for it.

I hoped that by learning about the lives of the people of that time, I would feel more connected. I hoped to connect to them so that I would feel them running next to me in the crooked alleyways of the Old City. I hoped to feel their fear, and courage. I hoped to experience their hunger and thirst. I hoped to go back in time to learn all I could about the time, place and people.

= = =Research Question=

What was the situation caused by the embargo of Jerusalem during the War of Independence?

=Convoys to Jerusalem=

Jerusalem as a mixed city with Arabs and Israelis, is special, it’s a city that is important and holy for all religions. It has a special place in the hearts of Jews an Arabs.

The United Nations proposed to partition the territory of the [|British Mandate of Palestine] into two states, Jewish and Arab The Arabs refused to accept the partition plan and the armies of [|Egypt], [|Syria], [|Transjordan], [|Lebanon] and [|Iraq], supported by others, attacked the newly established [|State of Israel] which they refused to recognize. That was the beginning of the War of Independence or the War of Liberation. With the announcement of an Israeli country the Arabs concentrated their efforts on cutting off roads to Jewish towns and Jewish neighborhoods in areas with mixed populations, especially in Jerusalem, to make it harder for the Jews to get food, supplies and soldiers to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was now under siege.


 * The map of the road to Jerusalem

On the only road that led to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv the Arabs started attacks on the transportation on their way with supplies, food, water, gasoline, and weapons that were sent to protect and help the city that was under siege. The supply convoys would go in big groups to Jerusalem to bring the supplies, that way they could protect each other and help. Palmach soldiers joined this groups to protect the people. They had to hide their weapons from the British, who would take the weapons away if thay found them. 245 convoys managed to get to Jerusalem with 10,000 tons of supplies. One of the main operations on the way to Jerusalem was “Operation Nachshon” which was lead by Simon Avidan (שמעון אבידן ). It began on the night of April 2, 1948. The name "Operation Nachshon" was derived from the biblical personage Nachshon Ben Aminadav who was the first to jump into the Red Sea when the Jews fled Egypt. It was the first major [|Haganah] operation and it was the first time that a "brigade force" was employed numbering 1,500 men, a large amount of people for this operation. They were armed with Czech weapons that had been smuggled into the country on April 1st at a hidden airstrip in the south. Even today, as you make your way up to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, you can see on the roadside, the remains of the armored vehicles that never made it to Jerusalem during the siege of 1948. These reminders show us the bravery and courage of the warriors that went to rescue Jerusalem. When you see those rusting wrecks, you can’t be more proud of your nation, your home, and your people.

=The Jewish Quarter Falls= When the British forces left the country on May 13, 1948 in the Jewish quarter there were 1,700 Jews and 150 soldiers from the “Lehi”, “IZL”, and “Hagana”. They were protecting the Jewish quarter. They had very few weapons to protect the old city. The soldiers understood that even if they had few weapons, they had to do something, even if it seemed that they had no chance against the Arabs.

They decided to go on a mission that was called “Shififon” on the day that the British left Jerusalem- the 13th of May. They went to capture very important positions that the British held in the Old City. The positions they were going to capture had strategic importance. The operation was divided into three parts, the first piece of the operation went off quietly. The Arabs felt that something was moving on the Israeli side and started shooting. By night everything was quiet again. The next few days there was on and off shooting.

On the 16th of May the Arabs started heavy shooting on the Israelis in the Jewish Quarter. The Jews needed to leave some positions that they captured on the 13th of May. There was alot of panic among the civilian population. The commanding officers of the Jewish Quarter sent a telegram for help, and they even considered the possibility of surrendering. They got a telegram back from Shaltial, the commander of Jerusalem, not to give up. On the 18th of May the Palmach succeeded in getting into the Jewish Quarter after a hard and almost impossible operation. They brought with them medical and military equipment. After a few hours, the way from Zion Gate to the Jewish Quarter was blocked again because of problems in the communication network. The Jewish Quarter was under siege once again.

At the same time the Arabs brought in from the Lion’s Gate two military companies of active and organized army units. That made the fighting from that day on even harder. It was no more fighting against a bunch of unorganized Arabs. The tactics of the fighting changed as a result of the organized army in Jerusalem. The change made the fighting harder for the Israelis, physically and mentally. The Jewish Quarter was getting bombed all day and night. The situation made it hard to move from place to place. The Arabs slowly captured more and more territory in the Jewish Quarter, and the Israeli side. In the meantime the Jewish Quarter sent another telegram for help. On The 27th of May the Arabs bombed the “Churva” a synagogue, which was in the Jewish Quarter. For the soldiers that was the end of the fighting. They understood that that was the end. They knew that the reinforcements were not going to come. In the air was the smell of the dead bodies that they couldn’t bury. Only 43 men were not injured and were capable of fighting. They understood it was the end. On the 28th of May two of the Jewish Quarter rabbis went to negotiate with the Arabs about surrendering.

From the end of November 1947 until the end of May 1948 Jerusalem was under siege. At the end of those six months and after heavy fighting, the Old City of Jerusalem fell into the hands of soldiers or the Jordanian Legion and other irregular Arab troops. A lot of people gave their lives to defend the Old City. Between 1948 and 1967 Western Jerusalem was the capitol city of Israel. Jerusalem was a divided city. In 1967, during the Six Day War, the Israeli army came back to the Old City, and to the “Kotel”. They recaptured what had been lost in 1948. Jerusalem was reunified.

=A Look at Life in Jerusalem= In this article I’m going to focus on the population in the Old City at the time of the siege on Jerusalem, their difficulties, challenges and their point of view about the war.

At the time of the siege on the Old City Dov Josef was the chief commander. He was responsible for the organization of the water, medical equipment and dividing the food equally between the families. The Old City was under siege and there was no way to bring the residents basic supplies. They lived in very difficult circumstances with water and food rations. Most of the residents of the Old City were either older people or young children, and were not living there out of an ideological conviction, but simply because that is where they had been born and always lived. This lack of ideology made their situation even more difficult, because they had not considered ever being in this position, and had not prepared for it. They found themselves in these most difficult of circumstances overnight, and unprepared. In addition, they were not a unified group, and were unable to call upon each other for moral support.

I would like to describe the water ration and usage to better understand the situation. Below is a picture that shows how many times the same water was used for different purposes and how every last drop was important. From an allotment of ten liters, two were immediately used for drinking and a similar amount for cooking. The remaining six liters were divided for washing dishes, fruits and vegetables and bathing and laundry. This water was used secondarily for washing floors and toilet flushing. The kerosene for cooking was also strictly rationed. It was said that it was easier to find a cup of fine whiskey or arak, than a cup of kerosene.

All this made the situation very difficult and depressing. People were at home, were unable to work, were unable to run households in a normal fashion, and their lives were constantly in danger. In addition, there was a feeling among the Lehi and Etzel that Ben Gurion really did not intend to include Jerusalem in the new Jewish state, and therefore did not send enough soldiers to defend Jerusalem, particularly the Old City. There are other sources that contradict this, and show that Ben Gurion was committed to Jerusalem. In addition, in books that have examined the battles, it is clear that serious mistakes were made as to how many enemy forces were in Jerusalem, and what their capabilities actually were. All this further increased a feeling of doom and depression.

At the end of the fighting in the Old City, when the remaining fighters were led off to captivity in Jordan, there were 120 babies, 400 youth, 700 women and elderly and sixty severely wounded. These people, along with a few hundred fighters, had held of the Jordanian Legion for over two weeks of intense fighting. The Old City of Jerusalem no longer had Jews, and wouldn’t for another 19 years. While Israel lost several settlements to the enemy in 1948 none was as painful as the loss of the Old City of Jerusalem.

=In memoriam:= || טוראי פרנקו מורדכי ז"ל
 * Mordechai Franko** was born in Turkey 1930. He fell defending the Old City on 18.05.1948, during the war of Independence in the rows of the Palmach. When he died he was only 18 years old. His friends said he was a smiley happy kid who really believed in the power of Israel and was very committed to Israeli society and to his friends.
 * Mordechai Franko** was born in Turkey 1930. He fell defending the Old City on 18.05.1948, during the war of Independence in the rows of the Palmach. When he died he was only 18 years old. His friends said he was a smiley happy kid who really believed in the power of Israel and was very committed to Israeli society and to his friends.
 * Abraham Semchon** was born in Romot Gon in Israel in 1931 he fell defending “Katamon", a neighborhood in Jerusalem on 09.05.1948. Abraham was 17 when he fell defending Jerusalem. Abraham joined the “Palmach” at a very young age because his mother died and he didn’t like the religious way of life that his family led. He was very dedicated and gave himself wholeheartedly to his tasks. He looked very big for his age, and because of that he was given a lot of responsibilities. He worked a lot with the "ma'apilim" – the group that was involved in smuggling in Jews illegally. During his last operation he was shot in his head. Ten days later he died from his angers. He was berried in Sanhedria and was moved later to “Har Hertzel”.
 * Abraham Semchon** was born in Romot Gon in Israel in 1931 he fell defending “Katamon", a neighborhood in Jerusalem on 09.05.1948. Abraham was 17 when he fell defending Jerusalem. Abraham joined the “Palmach” at a very young age because his mother died and he didn’t like the religious way of life that his family led. He was very dedicated and gave himself wholeheartedly to his tasks. He looked very big for his age, and because of that he was given a lot of responsibilities. He worked a lot with the "ma'apilim" – the group that was involved in smuggling in Jews illegally. During his last operation he was shot in his head. Ten days later he died from his angers. He was berried in Sanhedria and was moved later to “Har Hertzel”.
 * Abraham Semchon** was born in Romot Gon in Israel in 1931 he fell defending “Katamon", a neighborhood in Jerusalem on 09.05.1948. Abraham was 17 when he fell defending Jerusalem. Abraham joined the “Palmach” at a very young age because his mother died and he didn’t like the religious way of life that his family led. He was very dedicated and gave himself wholeheartedly to his tasks. He looked very big for his age, and because of that he was given a lot of responsibilities. He worked a lot with the "ma'apilim" – the group that was involved in smuggling in Jews illegally. During his last operation he was shot in his head. Ten days later he died from his angers. He was berried in Sanhedria and was moved later to “Har Hertzel”.



=Conclusion=

I began this project with a desire to learn about this period of time, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the people who lived within the walls in 1948. During the project I learned and understood a lot of aspects of this period, I decided to focus on three subjects that I thought were very important to understand the situation of that time. I learned a lot about the strategy of coping with Jerusalem a city under siege. I learned about the situation in the Old City, how the people fared during the siege and the fighting and how in the end the Old City fell into Arab hands.

In the process of researching and writing this project I felt more and more connected to Jerusalem. Sometimes I even felt as if I was actually there, fighting and defending the Old City.

The goals I set for myself at the beginning of this project have been fulfilled. I feel like I really learned a lot. But, like every subject, the more you learn, the more there is to learn. I feel like I have just begun to scratch the surface of what really happened in the Old City of Jerusalem in 1948.

=Bibliography:=


 * __Jerusalem__ __center for public affairs.__ 15 August 2000, 29.01.07 


 * __Jerusalem____,__ "Jerusalem 1948". 23.01.07


 * __Jewish Virtual Library__, 03.01.07. 


 * Mitchell, Bard. "Jerusalem—an Introduction" __Jewish Virtual Library__, 07.02.07. 


 * __Wikipedia__, 11 February 2007, 07.02.07 

Hebrew Sources:

rtl

<[|www.palmach.org.il]>
 * האתר הרשימי של הפלמ"ח.23.01.07


 * המאבק על הדרך לירושלים,03.01.07


 * המאבק על הדרך לירושלים 07.02.07


 * 07.02.07,1945,הספרייה הוירטואלית של מטח <[|http://lib.cet.ac.il/Pages/item.asp?item=10853חומר|http://lib.cet.ac.il/Pages/item.asp?item=10853]>

rtl