Palmach Contribution and Legacy
After the dismantling of the Palmach HQ during the War of Independence, its members joined the I.D.F and continued to fight as part of its regular units. At the end of the war, most of the fighters were discharged and pursued civilian occupations. Some of the Palmach Commanders, however, stayed in the army, maintaining the same Hagana and Palmach principles and sense of public, political, Zionist and social mission. This generation, the Palmach Generation, contributed greatly to the defense of the country in coming years, as well as to its development and formulation of the country's security, politics, economy, society and education.
The Palmach (Striking Force) operated as the Hagana's enlisted force (the Jewish Yishuv and the Zionist movement defense force), during which it accumulated extensive combat experience as a striking force, and created organizational, professional and social traditions that were later used by the I.D.F.
After the dismantling of the Palmach HQ during the War of Independence, its members joined the I.D.F and continued to fight as part of its regular units. At the end of the war, most of the fighters were discharged and pursued civilian occupations. Some of the Palmach Commanders, however, stayed in the army, maintaining the same Hagana and Palmach principles and sense of public, political, Zionist and social mission. This generation, the Palmach Generation, contributed greatly to the defense of the country in coming years, as well as to its development and formulation of the country's security, politics, economy, society and education.
All this was done by the Palmach forces that numbered 3,100 men and women on the eve of the War of Independence, and 6,000 during the war itself. Another 1000 new immigrants (Holocaust survivors), known as Gachal, joined the Palmach brigades during the war.
From 1941 to 1949, 1,168 Palmach men and women died in action, and 2,000 were injured. But it was quality and not quantity that was responsible for their unique impact and influence on various aspects of national life and institutions, although most of the volunteers never managed to graduate from high school and complete their formal education. This influence is still evident, and has continued for over 60 of the country's formative years, in a variety of areas, as described below.
After the dismantling of the Palmach HQ during the War of Independence, its members joined the I.D.F and continued to fight as part of its regular units. At the end of the war, most of the fighters were discharged and pursued civilian occupations. Some of the Palmach Commanders, however, stayed in the army, maintaining the same Hagana and Palmach principles and sense of public, political, Zionist and social mission. This generation, the Palmach Generation, contributed greatly to the defense of the country in coming years, as well as to its development and formulation of the country's security, politics, economy, society and education.
All this was done by the Palmach forces that numbered 3,100 men and women on the eve of the War of Independence, and 6,000 during the war itself. Another 1000 new immigrants (Holocaust survivors), known as Gachal, joined the Palmach brigades during the war.
From 1941 to 1949, 1,168 Palmach men and women died in action, and 2,000 were injured. But it was quality and not quantity that was responsible for their unique impact and influence on various aspects of national life and institutions, although most of the volunteers never managed to graduate from high school and complete their formal education. This influence is still evident, and has continued for over 60 of the country's formative years, in a variety of areas, as described below.