Palmach

Were established in 1941 as elite mobile strike brigades within the Haganah. (Palmach is variously translated as “Strike Companies,” “Assault,” or “Shock Forces.”) Palmach volunteers helped the British fend off Vichy control of Lebanon and Syria; in the spring and summer of 1942, they were trained by the British to defend the country against a possible German invasion. Their training included sabotage, patrolling, marksmanship, face-to-face combat, field training, and squad commander training. Among the units established by the Palmach was the Arab Unit, consisting of fighters dressed as Arabs. As the German threat to Palestine receded, cooperation between the Palmach and the British army dwindled—although the brigades’ ranks swelled with young men and women volunteers. It developed into an organized fighting force with commanders and limited weapons, using offensive assault and subterfuge, night operations, and underground warfare. Between 1945 and 1947, the Palmach fought the British for attempting to limit Jewish immigration to Palestine. The brigades were integrated into the Israel Defense Forces after the war of 1948. Some of the commanders of the Palmach became prominent military and political leaders of Israel; examples include Yigal Allon, Moshe Dayan, and Yitzhak Rabin.