The Birth of Israel (25 of 32)

The Birth of Israel

On the southern front, the Egyptian army advanced north towards Tel Aviv, avoiding smaller Israeli settlements.
But Kibbutz Yad Mordechai was too big to ignore.
On 24th May, Egyptian armour and infantry attacked.
Here, in front of me, I have no bullets and I have no rifles to reach them.
I need a mortar, or I need something...
And I was very, very angry that I can't shoot...
there in front of me.
And I can't do nothing, because, er, the distance, it's too wide.
I have no rifle, I have no munition.

And no aims to defence myself, or to attack them.
Outnumbered and out of ammunition, the Israeli forces had to retreat.
But they had bought time to establish a defence line further north, where the Egyptians were stopped before they could reach Tel Aviv.
After nearly a month's fighting, the United Nations secured a four-week ceasefire.
During the truce, both sides re-armed, but Israel had the edge, with big deliveries from Czechoslovakia of modern weapons, including heavy guns and aircraft.
Although hugely outnumbered by Arabs in the Middle East, Israel was always able to mobilise more soldiers.
It was now better equipped, organised and motivated.
As far as you were concerned, it was a life-or-death struggle.
Absolutely.
This was Israel's most frightful war.
It was a case of to be or not to be.
When the ceasefire ended after a month, the Israelis were ready for what one of their top generals called a series of sharp, short, decisive and victorious engagements.