Battle of Mishmar HaEmek
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Mishmar HaEmek was a ten-day battle fought from 4 to 15 April 1948 between the Arab Liberation Army
(Yarmouk
Battalion) commanded by Fawzi al-Qawuqji
and the Haganah
(Palmach
and HISH
) commanded by Yitzhak Sadeh
. The battle begun when al-Qawyqji launched an attack against Mishmar HaEmek
with the intent of taking the kibbutz, which was strategically placed beside the main road between Jenin
and Haifa
. In 1947 it had a population of 550.
. This was the first time that artillery was used in the war. For five days, the Arab force shelled the village from a distance of 800 yards. The Jews had one machine gun and "not enough rifles for all the male settlers," Following the shelling, an infantry attack was launched, but it was "stopped in its tracks along the fence of the village by defenders' fire." That night a company from the Haganah's Golani Brigade
"infiltrated into the village" to assist the Haganah militia who had repelled the attack. Mishmar HaEmek was shelled again all day on 5 April and Jewish reinforcements arrived during the following night. At the same time the 1st battalion of the Palmach began assembling at Ein Hashofet
3 miles (4.8 km) to the west. Kaukji also brought reinforcements from Jenin.
On 7 April, a British unit suggested a ceasefire and the ALA "agreed to cease the attack" for 24 hours and "called on the kibbutz to surrender its weapons and submit to Arab rule". During this 24-hour period, the kibbutz was able to evacuate its women and children. The ceasefire was rejected by David Ben Gurion and the Haganah General Staff, who decided instead to launch a counter-attack "to clear the ALA and the local Arab inhabitants out of the area, and to level the villages in order to permanently remove the threat to Mishmar Ha'emek," and to make it more difficult for an invading force from Jenin
to push through to Haifa
. "It began as a desperate Jewish defence and turned into a Haganah offensive conforming to Plan Dalet
guidelines."
, a few hundred yards north of the kibbutz, expelling the remaining villagers and destroying the village that night. On 12 April Palmach soldiers took Al-Kafrayn
and Abu Zurayq
, found no-one in the first village but took "fifteen adult males and some 200 women and children" captive in the second. The women and children were expelled. 30 houses in Al-Kafrayn were blown up that day and some at Abu Zurayq that night. Abu Zurayq was completely destroyed by 15 April. On 12 April, al-Qawuqji and his troops were almost encircled and they had to withdraw in haste to Jenin. During the night of 12-13 April Palmach units took the villages of Al-Mansi
and Naghnaghiya
which were blown up in the following days. On 19 April Al-Kafrayn was used by a Palmach unit for training and then "blown up completely." According to Benny Morris, "Most of the villagers reached the Jenin area and sheltered in makeshift tents."
, to which Mishwar HaEmek was affiliated, were accused of hypocrisy in following months when they complained about the destruction of Arab villages, because it was said that in this case it was what they had called for. On 14 April the Middle East scholar and member of Mapam, Eliezer Bauer (Be'eri), wrote in a letter partially quoted by Morris:
In early August, "The Committee for the Cultivation of Abandoned Lands" began the leasing of village land to Jewish settlements "for periods of six months to a year."
Almost all forces available to the ALA took part in the attack on Mishmar HaEmek; it was their "final significant contribution" in the conflict. Glubb Pasha, commander of the TransJordan
ian Arab Legion
, described the ALA attack as a "fiasco" and wrote that after their defeat the ALA's "morale and enthusiasm waned (and) the Liberation Army became more interested in looting - often from the Arabs of Palestine".
Arab Liberation Army
The Arab Liberation Army , also translated as Arab Salvation Army, was an army of volunteers from Arab countries led by Fawzi al-Qawuqji...
(Yarmouk
Yarmouk River
The Yarmouk River is the largest tributary of the Jordan River. It drains much of the Hauran Plateau. It is one of three main tributaries which enter the Jordan between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. To the south, are the Jabbok/Zarqa and the Arnon/Wadi Mujib) rivers...
Battalion) commanded by Fawzi al-Qawuqji
Fawzi Al-Qawuqji
Fawzi al-Qawuqji was the field commander of the Arab Liberation Army during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War in Palestine, and a rival of the principal Palestinian Arab leader, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini.-Biography:...
and the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
(Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
and HISH
HISH
The Hish was a corps formed by the Haganah in the British Mandate of Palestine in 1939 following the disbandment of the smaller mobilized force known as the Fosh. It was the Haganah's main surface corps, alongside Him and the Palmach....
) commanded by Yitzhak Sadeh
Yitzhak Sadeh
Yitzhak Sadeh , was the commander of the Palmach, one of the founders of the Israel Defense Forces at the time of the establishment of the State of Israel and a cousin of British philosopher Isaiah Berlin.-Biography:...
. The battle begun when al-Qawyqji launched an attack against Mishmar HaEmek
Mishmar HaEmek
Mishmar HaEmek is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the western Jezreel Valley, it falls under the jurisdiction of Megiddo Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 964....
with the intent of taking the kibbutz, which was strategically placed beside the main road between Jenin
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
and Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
. In 1947 it had a population of 550.
Battle
On 4 April 1948, about 1,000 Arab Liberation Army (ALA) militiamen launched an attack on the kibbutz. They were initially opposed by 170 Jews and later, two companies of the Palmach, "less than 300 boys." The attack began with an artillery barrage from seven artillery pieces supplied by the Syrian ArmySyrian Army
The Syrian Army, officially called the Syrian Arab Army, is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It is the dominant military service of the four uniformed services, controlling the senior most posts in the armed forces, and has the greatest manpower, approximately 80 percent of the...
. This was the first time that artillery was used in the war. For five days, the Arab force shelled the village from a distance of 800 yards. The Jews had one machine gun and "not enough rifles for all the male settlers," Following the shelling, an infantry attack was launched, but it was "stopped in its tracks along the fence of the village by defenders' fire." That night a company from the Haganah's Golani Brigade
Golani Brigade
The Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry brigade that is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. Its symbol is a green tree on a yellow background, and its soldiers wear a brown beret. It is one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the...
"infiltrated into the village" to assist the Haganah militia who had repelled the attack. Mishmar HaEmek was shelled again all day on 5 April and Jewish reinforcements arrived during the following night. At the same time the 1st battalion of the Palmach began assembling at Ein Hashofet
Ein Hashofet
Ein HaShofet is a kibbutz in northern Israel in the Hills of Ephraim. Located in the Ramat Menashe region around 30 km from the city of Haifa, close to Yokneam, it falls under the jurisdiction of Megiddo Regional Council. In 2008 it had a population of 759....
3 miles (4.8 km) to the west. Kaukji also brought reinforcements from Jenin.
On 7 April, a British unit suggested a ceasefire and the ALA "agreed to cease the attack" for 24 hours and "called on the kibbutz to surrender its weapons and submit to Arab rule". During this 24-hour period, the kibbutz was able to evacuate its women and children. The ceasefire was rejected by David Ben Gurion and the Haganah General Staff, who decided instead to launch a counter-attack "to clear the ALA and the local Arab inhabitants out of the area, and to level the villages in order to permanently remove the threat to Mishmar Ha'emek," and to make it more difficult for an invading force from Jenin
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
to push through to Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
. "It began as a desperate Jewish defence and turned into a Haganah offensive conforming to Plan Dalet
Plan Dalet
Plan Dalet, or Plan D, was a plan worked out by the Haganah, a Jewish paramilitary group and the forerunner of the Israel Defense Forces, in Palestine in autumn 1947 to spring 1948. Its purpose is much debated...
guidelines."
The Jewish counter-offensive
Ghubayya al-Tahta, Mishmar HaEmek's closest neighbour to the south, Ghubayya al-Fauqa and Khirbet Beit Ras were captured on 8/9 April. Ghubayya al-Tahta was blown up immediately, the other two were blown up "piecemeal in the following days". Most of the residents fled before or during the attacks. According to Qawuqji's memoirs, a "pitched battle" took place around these villages with "house to house fighting". According to Morris, the ALA units "often retreated first, abandoning the villagers." On 10 April Haganah units took Abu ShushaAbu Shusha, Haifa
Abu Shusha was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Haifa. It was depopulated during the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine on April 9, 1948 under the Battle for Mishmar ha-'Emeq.As of 1945 it had a population of 720.-Bibliography:...
, a few hundred yards north of the kibbutz, expelling the remaining villagers and destroying the village that night. On 12 April Palmach soldiers took Al-Kafrayn
Al-Kafrayn
Al-Kafrayn was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Haifa. It was depopulated during the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine on April 12, 1948 as part of the Battle for Mishmar ha-'Emeq. It was located 29.5 km southeast of Haifa. The Crusaders referred to al-Kafrayn as...
and Abu Zurayq
Abu Zurayq
Abu Zurayq was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Haifa, situated near Wadi Abu Zurayq. It was depopulated on April 12-13 during and after the Battle for Mishmar ha-'Emeq of the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine....
, found no-one in the first village but took "fifteen adult males and some 200 women and children" captive in the second. The women and children were expelled. 30 houses in Al-Kafrayn were blown up that day and some at Abu Zurayq that night. Abu Zurayq was completely destroyed by 15 April. On 12 April, al-Qawuqji and his troops were almost encircled and they had to withdraw in haste to Jenin. During the night of 12-13 April Palmach units took the villages of Al-Mansi
Al-Mansi
Al-Mansi and also called was a Palestinian town in the District of Haifa. It was occupied on April 12, 1948 by Israeli troops during the Battle of Mishmar HaEmek.-Geography:...
and Naghnaghiya
Naghnaghiya
Naghnaghiya was a Palestinian Arab village, southeast of Haifa. It was depopulated before the outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.-Location:...
which were blown up in the following days. On 19 April Al-Kafrayn was used by a Palmach unit for training and then "blown up completely." According to Benny Morris, "Most of the villagers reached the Jenin area and sheltered in makeshift tents."
Aftermath
All of the Palestinian villages captured were destroyed shortly thereafter. Members of the left wing MapamMapam
Mapam was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day Meretz party.-History:Mapam was formed by a January 1948 merger of the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party and Ahdut HaAvoda Poale Zion Movement. The party was originally Marxist-Zionist in its outlook and represented...
, to which Mishwar HaEmek was affiliated, were accused of hypocrisy in following months when they complained about the destruction of Arab villages, because it was said that in this case it was what they had called for. On 14 April the Middle East scholar and member of Mapam, Eliezer Bauer (Be'eri), wrote in a letter partially quoted by Morris:
Of course in a cruel war such as we are engaged in, one cannot act with kid gloves. But there are still rules in war which a civilized people tries to follow... [Bauer focused on events in Abu Zureiq a day or two earlier.] When the village was conquered, the villagers tried to escape and save themselves by fleeing to the fields of the [Jezreel] Valley. Forces from nearby settlements sortied out and outflanked them. There were exchanges of fire in which several of these Arabs were killed. Others surrendered or were captured unarmed. Most were killed [i.e.., murdered]. And these were not gang members as was later written in [the Mapam daily] Al Hamishmar but defenceless, beaten peasants. Only members of my kibbutz HazoreaHazoreaHaZore'a is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the west of the Jezreel Valley, it falls under the jurisdiction of Megiddo Regional Council...
took prisoners... Also in the village, when adult males were discovered hiding hours after the end of battle -they were killed... It is said that there were cases of rape, but it is possible that this is one of those made-up tales of "heroism" that soldiers are prone to. Of the property in the houses and farm animals left without minders, they took what they could: One took a kettle for coffee, another a horse, a third a cow...One may understand and justify, if they took cows from the village for Mishmar Ha'emek for example, or if soldiers who conquered the village would slaughter and fry chickens for themselves. But if every farmer from a nearby moshav [the allusion is to Yoqneam ] takes part in looting, that is nothing but theft..."
In early August, "The Committee for the Cultivation of Abandoned Lands" began the leasing of village land to Jewish settlements "for periods of six months to a year."
Almost all forces available to the ALA took part in the attack on Mishmar HaEmek; it was their "final significant contribution" in the conflict. Glubb Pasha, commander of the TransJordan
Transjordan
The Emirate of Transjordan was a former Ottoman territory in the Southern Levant that was part of the British Mandate of Palestine...
ian Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
, described the ALA attack as a "fiasco" and wrote that after their defeat the ALA's "morale and enthusiasm waned (and) the Liberation Army became more interested in looting - often from the Arabs of Palestine".