Palmach
The Palmach (Hebrew: פלמ"ח, acronym for פלוגות מחץ, Plugot Maḥatz, "Strike Companies") was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv (Jewish community) during the period of the British Mandate for Palestine. The Palmach was established in May 1941. By the outbreak of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, it consisted of over 2,000 men and women in three fighting brigades and auxiliary aerial, naval and intelligence units. With the creation of Israel's army, the three Palmach Brigades were disbanded. This and political reasons compelled many of the senior Palmach officers to resign in 1950.
| Palmach | |
|---|---|
Symbol of the Palmach | |
| Active | 1941–1948 |
| Country | Mandatory Palestine (before 14 May 1948) Israel (after 14 May 1948) |
| Allegiance | Haganah |
| Type | Strike force |
| Part of | Haganah |
| Motto(s) | "Always at your command" "לפקודה תמיד אנחנו" |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Yitzhak Sadeh, Yigal Allon, Yitzhak Rabin, Moshe Dayan |
The Palmach contributed significantly to Israeli culture and ethos, well beyond its military contribution. Its members formed the backbone of the Israel Defense Forces high command for many years, and were prominent in Israeli politics, literature and culture.