Plan Dalet facts for kids

Plan Dalet (also known as Plan D) was a secret military plan created by the Haganah, a Jewish defense group in Mandatory Palestine. This plan was put into action during the civil war that happened before the country of Israel was officially formed in 1948. The main goal of Plan Dalet was to take control of certain areas in Mandatory Palestine. This was done to prepare for the creation of a Jewish state and to protect its future borders and people.

David Ben-Gurion, a key leader of the Jewish Agency for Israel (which represented Jewish people in Palestine) and later Israel's first prime minister, asked for this plan. It was finished on March 10, 1948. Many historians see Plan Dalet as a major turning point. It marked a shift where Jewish forces moved from mostly defending themselves to actively taking control of areas.

The plan aimed to secure areas where Jewish communities, called the Yishuv, lived. This included places both inside and outside the proposed Jewish state's borders. There is some debate about Plan Dalet. Some historians say it was mainly for defense, while others believe it was part of a larger strategy to make the local Arab population leave their homes.

What Does "Dalet" Mean?

The name "Dalet" comes from the letter Dalet (ד), which is the fourth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. This plan was the latest version of earlier defense plans. These earlier plans were named after the first three letters of the Hebrew alphabet: Aleph (א), Bet (ב), and Gimel (ג).

Why Was Plan Dalet Created?

Early Ideas for a Plan

Even back in 1937, leaders like David Ben-Gurion thought that the British might eventually leave Palestine. He asked for a plan to prepare for this. This early idea, sometimes called the Avnir Plan, became a starting point for future military strategies. Over the years, this blueprint was updated and changed, leading to plans Aleph, Bet, Gimel, and finally, Dalet.

The Earlier Plans (Aleph, Bet, Gimel)

From 1945 onwards, the Haganah developed several general military plans:

• Plan Aleph (1945): This plan aimed to deal with Arab resistance to Jewish control in parts of Palestine.
• Plan Bet (1945, updated 1947): This plan was created as Britain decided to ask the United Nations for help with the "problem of Palestine." It also considered growing opposition from Arab countries.
• Plan Gimel (1946, updated 1947): This plan focused on getting more Jewish military and police forces ready for action, especially after the UN proposed dividing Palestine.

The UN Partition Plan

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations voted on a plan to divide Palestine. This plan suggested creating both an Arab state and a Jewish state. Jewish communities were happy about this decision, but Arab communities were not. Soon after the vote, there were attacks, and fighting began.

Growing Conflict

As 1948 began, the fighting became more intense. Volunteer fighters from Arab countries, known as the Arab Liberation Army, entered Palestine. They became active in areas like Galilee and Samaria. A leader named Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni also arrived with his forces, the Army of the Holy War. He organized a blockade to cut off supplies to the 100,000 Jewish residents in Jerusalem.

To counter this, Jewish authorities tried to send food convoys to Jerusalem. However, these convoys faced many attacks, and it became very difficult to get supplies through. By March, the blockade was working, and the Haganah had lost many vehicles and soldiers. Jewish settlements in isolated areas like the Negev and northern Galilee also faced serious challenges.

What Was Plan Dalet?

Preparing for Action

In 1947, David Ben-Gurion reorganized the Haganah. He made it mandatory for every Jewish man and woman in Palestine to receive military training. Military equipment was bought from old supplies from World War II and from Czechoslovakia.

Historians have different ideas about who exactly wrote Plan Dalet. Some believe it was mainly developed by Yigael Yadin, who was temporarily leading the Haganah. Others, like Ilan Pappé, suggest it was created by a group of military and security experts working with Ben-Gurion. The plan was finalized and sent to Haganah units in early March 1948.

The Plan's Main Goals

Plan Dalet aimed to change the Haganah from a secret group into a regular army. This included forming brigades (larger military units) and front commands. The plan had several stated goals:

• To gain control of the areas meant for the Jewish state.
• To defend its borders.
• To gain control of Jewish settlements and groups located outside these borders.
• To protect against attacks from forces operating from inside or outside the state.

The plan also mentioned taking control of British bases and police stations as the British withdrew. It also aimed to secure roads and strengthen Jewish strongholds in surrounding areas.

Important Details of the Plan

The plan included specific instructions for dealing with Arab communities. It talked about:

• Dealing with enemy population centers: The plan suggested taking action against Arab villages located near Jewish defense areas. This was to prevent them from being used as bases for armed groups.
• Village operations: These operations could involve destroying villages (by setting fire, blowing up buildings, or planting mines), especially those that were hard to control constantly.
• Search and control: If there was resistance during a search operation, the armed force was to be dealt with, and the local population was to be moved out of the area.
• No resistance: If there was no resistance, troops would enter the village, take positions, and confiscate weapons and vehicles. Local leaders would be appointed to manage the village's internal affairs.

The plan also mentioned "counterattacks" against enemy bases and population centers. These attacks aimed to destroy the bases and any enemy forces there.

How Was Plan Dalet Carried Out?

Plan Dalet began to be put into action in early April 1948. This marked a new phase in the war, where the Haganah shifted from a defensive to an offensive approach.

Key Operations

Zones controlled by Yishuv before and after the implementation of the Plan Dalet.

One of the first major operations was Operation Nachshon. This operation aimed to break the blockade on Jerusalem. Between April 5 and 20, about 1,500 Haganah and Palmach soldiers worked to open the road to the city. This operation was successful, and enough food to last two months was brought into Jerusalem for the Jewish population. The death of Arab leader Al-Husayni during combat also helped the operation's success.

On April 9, 1948, a tragic event known as the Deir Yassin massacre occurred. Paramilitary groups, with some support from Haganah and Palmach, attacked the village of Deir Yassin, resulting in the deaths of many Arab villagers. This event was widely reported and had a significant impact on the morale of the Arab population, contributing to many Palestinians leaving their homes. Historians like Ilan Pappé and Benny Morris have discussed how this event was connected to the goals of Plan Dalet.

As part of Plan Dalet, Jewish forces also captured major towns like Tiberias, Haifa (see Battle of Haifa), Safed, Beisan, Jaffa, and Acre. During these operations, many Palestinian Arabs left or were made to leave their homes.

At this time, the British were largely withdrawing their troops. The situation led neighboring Arab countries to consider intervening, but they were not fully ready. Many Palestinians hoped for help from the Arab Legion of King Abdullah I of Transjordan. However, King Abdullah wanted to annex parts of Palestine for his own kingdom, not create a separate Palestinian state.

The Haganah continued with other operations, such as Operation Yiftah and Operation Ben-Ami, to secure Jewish settlements in Galilee. Operation Kilshon helped create a united front around Jerusalem.

List of Operations

It's important to note that many of these operations happened outside the areas the United Nations had set aside for a Jewish state. They also took place before regular armies from Arab countries entered the conflict.

What Was the Outcome?

The execution of Plan Dalet lasted about eight weeks, starting on April 2. During this time, the situation for the Jewish community changed a lot. Many Arab leaders left the country, and local Arab leadership weakened. On the Jewish side, about 1,253 people were killed, including 500 civilians.

On the Arab side, Jewish attacks and offensives led to a large movement of people, with an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 Palestinians leaving their homes. According to historian Benny Morris, this "massive movement of people" pushed Arab states closer to invading, even though they were not very eager to do so at first.

How Do Historians See Plan Dalet?

Historians have studied Plan Dalet for many years. In 1959, Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi wrote about the Battle of Haifa as part of a new Jewish offensive strategy. This was important because it challenged the idea that Palestinians left their homes only because Arab leaders told them to.

In the early 1960s, there was a public debate between Khalidi and other journalists about why Palestinians left. In November 1961, Khalidi published an article called "Plan Dalet: Master Plan for the Conquest of Palestine," which shared more details about the plan. He noted that for a long time, there wasn't a detailed account of Plan Dalet in many historical writings about 1948.

The original Hebrew text of Plan Dalet was published in 1972. An English translation was later published in 1988 as an appendix to Khalidi's article.

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