"The naval arena in the War of Independence"

- CONTENT -
THE NAVAL ARENA IN THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE TOOK PLACE, AS A WHOLE, IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, THE SOLE NAVAL TRANSPORT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL UNTIL THE OCCUPATION OF EILAT AT THE END OF THE WAR. THE FIGHTING ACTIVITY IN THE SEA TOOK PLACE IN TWO STAGES. AT THE FIRST STAGE OF THE CONFLICT WAS THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL AND THE BRITISH EMPIRE, WHICH MOVED THE GATES OF THE LAND TO THE PELVIS SHIPS CARRYING THE REFUGEES OF THE HOLOCAUST AND THE STRUGGLE TO THWART WEAPONS SMUGGLING ATTEMPTS TO THE ARAB COUNTRIES. THE ARAB SIDE WAS NOT ACTIVE AT THIS STAGE. AFTER LEAVING THE BRITISH, THE SECOND STAGE OF THE CAMPAIGN BEGAN, DURING WHICH THE EGYPTIAN NAVY ATTACKED TARGETS ALONG THE COAST OF ISRAEL AND HELPED THE EGYPTIAN INVASION FORCE IN THE NEGEV.

GENERAL

THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION ON NOVEMBER 29, 1947 DID NOT CAUSE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO STOP OPERATIONS AGAINST THE COUNTRY. THE BRITISH POLICY INCLUDED A NAVAL BLOCKADE DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE ENTRY OF THE ELEPHANTS AND MILITARY EQUIPMENT ACQUIRED BY THE DEFENSE AND THE IDF TO ISRAEL. THE CLASHING BETWEEN THE ROYAL NAVY AND THE FLYING SHIPS OF THE INSTITUTE FOR B WAS THE MAIN EVENT IN THE NAVAL ARENA IN THESE MONTHS. ON 14 MAY 1948, THE BRITISH MANDATE OFFICIALLY ENDED IN ISRAEL WITH THE DEPARTURE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER. WITH THE END OF THE MANDATE, THE NAVAL BLOCKADE IMPOSED BY BRITISH ROYAL NAVY SHIPS, ON THE SHORES OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL, BUT HAIFA PORT REMAINED UNDER BRITISH CONTROL UNTIL 30 JUNE 1948.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE END OF THE BRITISH MANDATE AND THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, THE NEIGHBORING ARAB STATES ARMIES LAUNCHED AN INVASION OF THE TERRITORIES OF ISRAEL. AS PART OF THE EGYPTIAN INVASION, THE EGYPTIAN ROYAL NAVY ALSO ENTERED THE FIGHTING AGAINST THE YOUNG JEWISH STATE. EGYPTIAN VESSELS ATTEMPTED TO ATTACK ISRAEL’S PORTS AND DELIVERED SUPPLIES AND REINFORCEMENTS TO THE EGYPTIAN SHIPPING FORCE, WHICH ATTACKED ISRAEL ON THE GROUND. DESPITE THE EGYPTIAN TECHNICAL AND QUANTITATIVE PRIORITY, THE ISRAELI NAVY, WHICH IS LARGELY IMPROVISED, HAS MANAGED TO STAVE OFF THE ATTACKS OF THE EGYPTIAN NAVY AND KEEP THE ROUTE OPEN TO ISRAEL.
THE COMMAND OF THE ISRAELI NAVY TO CONDUCT THE CONFRONTATION WITH THE EGYPTIAN NAVY WHILE INFLICTING LITTLE DAMAGE. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE EGYPTIAN NAVY WAS NOT ABLE TO TRANSLATE ITS TECHNICAL AND QUANTITATIVE PRIORITY TO NAVAL CONTROL. ON OCCASIONS WHEN THE EGYPTIANS DISCOVERED AN OFFENSIVE INITIATIVE, A SINGLE VESSEL WAS SENT TO CARRY OUT THE SHELL OF THE ISRAELI COAST. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE ISRAELI NAVY, WHO WAS AWARE OF ITS INFERIORITY IN THE ARMS OF THE VESSEL, OPERATED ITS FORCES (THE CRUISE OF THE BATTLESHIPS) IN A CONCENTRATED MANNER, WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO GAIN NUMERICAL PRIORITY IN ALL THE MARITIME CONFRONTATIONS WITH THE EGYPTIAN NAVY. THROUGH PROPER ORTHODOX ACTIVITY, THE EGYPTIAN NAVY PREVENTED CONTROL OF THE MARITIME ARENA, AND EXPLOITED IT FOR THEIR WAR EFFORT, AND EVEN SUCCEEDED IN PROVIDING WATER ASSISTANCE TO THE OPERATIONS OF ISRAELI LAND FORCES, ESPECIALLY IN THE LATER STAGES OF THE WAR.

ACCORDING TO YUSHI BEN NUN:

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
AT THE END OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR, BRITAIN DECLARED, IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE BALFOUR DECLARATION, ITS INTENTION TO ASSIST THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL HOME FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN ISRAEL, AND AFTER THE END OF THE WAR, IT RECEIVED THE MANDATE ON THE LAND OF ISRAEL FROM THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF THIS INTENTION. HOWEVER, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE 1930S, THE INFLUENCE OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND BRITISH OFFICIALS, WHICH MARKED THE IMPORTANCE OF FOSTERING GOOD TIES WITH THE ARAB WORLD, AT THE EXPENSE OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN ISRAEL, AND THE BRITISH BEGAN TO IMPOSE VARIOUS RESTRICTIONS ON JEWISH IMMIGRATION AND THE RIGHT OF JEWS TO PURCHASE LAND IN ISRAEL (AS EXPRESSED IN THE SECOND AND THIRD WHITE BOOK). THIS POLICY WAS FURTHER REINFORCED AFTER THE END OF WORLD WAR II, AND THE OUTBREAK OF THE COLD WAR, FOLLOWING BRITAIN’S DESIRE TO ENSURE THE SUPPORT OF ARAB COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST IN WESTERN POWERS TO PREVENT SOVIET PENETRATION INTO THE REGION.

AFTER WORLD WAR II, TENSION BETWEEN THE WESTERN BLOC, LED BY THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN, AND THE BAR