Palmach fighters. Source: WikiCommons
The Palmach
Elite unit of the haganah
The Palmach was established in 1941 as the elite fighting force of the Haganah, pre-state Israel’s main defense force. It carried out some of the most daring operations during the years of resistance to the British occupation, fighting with the Arabs, and during the War of Independence. Many of Israel’s most famous warriors, including Yitzhak Rabin, came from the ranks of the Palmach. It was strongly leftist, with many of its members coming from the socialist kibbutzim, and had an outsize impact on Israeli culture, politics, and military ethos. It was disbanded with the creation of the Israel Defense Forces.
