Allon - Shield of David: The Story of Israels Armed Forces

In recent years, most particularly since the Six-Day War of June 1967, people throughout the world have asked themselves how it happened that the Israel Defence Forces won so resounding a victory over the Arab armies. What suddenly endowed the Jewish people traditionally non-martial with such impressive military skills? What is the secret of the prowess of Israeli soldiers, airmen and sailors?

The answer, of course, is that nothing happens suddenly; that the modern story of Jewish self-defence in the Land of Israel dates back some eighty years, and is the result of the commitment and dedication to national survival of many men and women most of whom, seeking no publicity, received none. This book is my attempt to tell part of that little-known story as simply, briefly and clearly as possible. It is not a study in depth of the growth of Israels armed forces, nor is it a historical analysis of the military doctrines which those forces developed. It is rather a sketch, a profile of the people and of the events which moulded first the resistance movement and then the army of the Jewish State.

In much of what is described in the following pages, I have been an active participant myself; first as a young and raw recruit; later as a seasoned commander; still later, in a ministerial capacity, as a decision maker. Some of the pioneers I have written about here were my mentors; others formed the stuff of the legends upon which I was brought up. Some were part and parcel of my childhood memories, while others, my contemporaries, were comrades-in-arms. But, in no sense is this book an autobiography. I have tried to keep myself out of the story altogether; to tell it as it really was, so that the questions asked after 1967 can be answered more clearly, so that history be given its due, and those, whose courage and endurance were integral to a great tradition, can become more familiar figures beyond the borders of that State for whose existence they fought and all too frequently died.

I wish to express my deep appreciation to four people: first and foremost, to Rinna Samuel for her invaluable help in writing this book; to Asher Weill for his editorial advice; to Netanel Lorch, former head of the Department of History of the Israel Defence Forces for having carefully checked the whole manuscript; and to Alex Berlyne whose help in graphic design and illustration contributes so much to the book. It goes without saying that, all of this assistance notwithstanding, any errors or misjudgments and the responsibility for them are entirely mine.

Ginosar, August, 1970

Yigal Allon