Operation Kedem was an action planned and carried out in July 1948, during the 1948 Arab–Israeli war. Its purpose was to capture East Jerusalem (including the Old City). After the first cease-fire of the Arab–Israeli war, which lasted for four weeks, the balance in power in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

had shifted dramatically. The

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...

s were now much stronger than the

Arabs The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

in the

sector. The operation was to be carried out by

Irgun Irgun • Etzel , image = Irgun.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = Irgun emblem. The map shows both Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan, which the Irgun claimed in its entirety for a future Jewish state. The acronym "Etzel" i ...

and Lehi forces on July 8 with help from the Haganah. But it was delayed by

David Shaltiel David Shaltiel ( he, דוד שאלתיאל; 16 January 1903 - February 1969) was an Israeli military and intelligence officer, later also diplomat, and was most well known for being the district commander of the Haganah in Jerusalem during the 1 ...

. He told them to first capture the Arab village of

Malha Malha is a neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem, between Pat, Ramat Denya and Kiryat Hayovel in the Valley of Rephaim. Before 1948, Malha was an Arab village known as al-Maliha ( ar, المالحة). History Antiquity Excavations in Malha revea ...

. On July 14, 1948, after a fierce battle in the early hours of the morning, the Irgun occupied the village. Several hours later, the Arabs launched a counterattack, but reinforcements arrived and the village was retaken. The Irgun lost 17 men in the battle for Malha, and many were wounded.The Jerusalem Battalion
/ref> The Irgun force commanded by

Yehuda Lapidot Judah or Yehuda is the name of a biblical patriarch, Judah (son of Jacob). It may also refer to: Historical ethnic, political and geographic terms * Tribe of Judah, one of the twelve Tribes of Israel; their allotment corresponds to Judah or Jud ...

(Nimrod) was to break through at The New Gate, Lehi to break through the wall stretching from the New Gate and The Jaffa Gate, and the Beit Horon Battalion to strike from Mount Zion. The battle was planned to begin at the Sabbath, 20:00 Friday July 16, a day before the second cease-fire of the Arab–Israeli war. The plan went wrong from the beginning and was postponed first to 23:00 and then to midnight. Not until 02:30 did the battle actually begin. The Irgunists managed to break through at the New Gate, but the other forces failed in their missions. At 05:45, Shaltiel ordered a retreat and cessation of hostilities.

Brigades participating in Operation Kedem

* Etzioni Brigade (Beit Horon Battalion) *

* Lehi

External links

* http://www.etzel.org.il/english/ac19.htm#33 * http://www.etzel.org.il/english/people/lapidot.htm

References

{{coord, 31, 46, 41.18, N, 35, 13, 32.16, E, display=title Kedem Irgun July 1948 events in Asia

Brigades participating in Operation Kedem

See also

External links

References