Mahal (Israel)

Mahal, more often spelled Machal (Hebrew: מח"ל), refers to the group of overseas volunteers who fought alongside Israeli forces during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Some 4,000 volunteers, mostly Jews but also non-Jews, arrived from all over the world. Mahal is an acronym of מתנדבי חוץ לארץ‎ (Mitnadvei Hutz LaAretz, "volunteers from abroad").

Not to be confused with מחל‎, the identically pronounced election symbol of Likud, a major political party in Israel..

Mahal was disbanded after the war and most of the volunteers went home, although some remained in the country as permanent residents.

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