1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War (2 page)

I thank my blood brother, Professor Beni Kedar, for reading the manuscript and for suggesting corrections and additions. I also thank Dr. Hillel Cohen for going through Palestine's Arabic newspapers from 1947 to 1948 for me and enlightening me on their contents.

I thank the University of Maryland, and especially Professor Haim Lapin of the history department and Jewish studies program, for providing me with a yearlong fellowship that enabled me to complete much of this book in College Park during 2005 -2006.

Over the years, I have consulted my friend and colleague Yoav Gelber about this or that aspect of 1948, and he has always been generous with his time and knowledge.

I extend my thanks to Georges Borchardt for steering this work through the shoals of the publishing world to the safe and proven shores of New Haven and, at Yale University Press, to Jonathan Brent for taking me aboard and to Annelise Finegan for chaperoning the work through the production process. Working with them was a rare pleasure, as was working with Laura Jones Dooley, who brought great skill and experience to the editing.

Great thanks go also to Roni Bluestein-Livnon for her industry and care in making the maps; the fruit of her labor was crucial to the book.

The Peel Commission partition proposal, July 1937

The UNSCOP majority partition proposal, i September 1947

The UN General Assembly partition plan, 29 November 1947

Operation Nahshon, April 1948

The Battle of Mishmar Ha'emek, April 1948

The Battle for Haifa, 21-22 April 1948

Operation Hametz and the Battle for Jaffa, April 1948

Operation Yiftah, Galilee Panhandle and Safad, April-May 1948

Operation Ben-Ami, Western Galilee, 13-22 May 1948

The Pan-Arab Invasion of Palestine/Israel, May-June 1948

Operation Kilshon and the Jordanian attack of Jerusalem, 13 -28 May 1948

The First Battle of Latrun (Bin-Nun aleph), Central Front, 25 May 1948

The Second Battle of Latrun (Bin-Nun bet), Central Front, 30-31 May 1948 zz6

The Third Battle of Latrun, 8 - io June 1948

The Battle ofIsdud, Operation Pleshet, 1-3 June 1948

The Battle of Gesher, Jordan Valley, 15 -22 May 1948

The Battle of Jenin, 1-3 June 1948

The Syrian Invasion and its rebuff, 15 -20 May 1948

Operation Dekel, Galilee, July 1948

Operation Brosh, attacking the Syrian bridgehead at Mishmar Hayarden, 9-12 July 1948

Operation Dani, Lydda and Ramla, July 1948

Israeli-held areas at the end of the Ten Days, 19 July 1948

Operation Yoav and its aftermath, northern Negev, Majdal, 15 October-1o November 1948

Operation Hiram, Northern Front, 27-31 October 1948

Operation Horev, Rafah and Sinai, 22 December 1948 -7 January 1949

Israel-Egypt general armistice agreement lines, 24 February 1949

Israel-Lebanon general armistice agreement lines, 30 March 1949

Operation `Uvda, Negev, 6-1o March 1949

The Israel-Jordan general armistice agreement lines, 3 April 194-9

Israel-Syria general armistice agreement lines, 20 July 1949