RoccoR
Gold Member
P F Tinmore, et al,
A defeat and a loss are two different things. You are asking the wrong question(s).
It is the more strategic question.
The Arab League forces were essentially trying to negate the implementation of Resolution 181(II), in which, as the PLO-NAD points out, allocated 55% of the remaining territory under the Mandate for Palestine to the Jewish State. And in May 1948, that was the portion that Israel declared independence over. But, at the end of the 1948-1948 conflict, and at the establishment of the Armistice, Israel had operational control over 78% of the territory formerly under the Mandate. The combined effort of the Arab League Forces lost the Arab Palestinian approximately 48% of the portion allocated to the Arab State.
It is not about what the individual Arab Contingents "lost" --- but what they gambled and lost in terms of Arab-Palestinian territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Arab-Palestinians paid the overhead for the tactical failures of the Arab League Forces.
Additionally, the Hashemite Kingdom used the assault to capture about 80% of the West Bank. And the Egyptians used the assault to secure the Gaza Strip. At the end of the 1948-1949 War of Independence, the territory (≈ 45% of the territory formerly under the Mandate) allocated for the Arab State under Resolution 181(II) was completely absorbed. What was not under the control of the Israelis, was under the control of the Jordanians and Egyptians. The Israelis controlled about ≈48% of the Arab State allocation with the remainder (≈ 52% of the Arab State allocation) went to the Egyptians (Gaza Strip) and Jordanians (about ≈ 80% of the West Bank).
It's not about what the combined military resources of the Arab League lost. It is all about what the Arab-Palestinian lost? After all, the Arab League indicated that it was all about protecting the Arab Palestinians and their legacy. At the assumption of the Armistice, what did the Arab Palestinians gain??? NOTHING! They lost control of everything. And, what survivors and walking wound remained of the Arab-Palestinian irregular forces, could not be reconstituted and were essentially rendered totally ineffective. "In October 1948, Jordan gave an order to its forces, the Arab Legion, to surround and forcibly disarm various units of the Holy War Army." This was originally a force of ≈ 50,000 men (not counting the smaller irregulars of the Arab Liberation Army). "In the early summer of 1948 some Druze fighters, mainly from Syria, along with Palestinian Druze from the villages ofDaliyat al-Karmil and Isfiya on Mount Carmel, defected from the Arab Liberation Army to the Israel Defense Forces. These formed the core of the IDF's only Arabic-speaking unit, the Unit of the Minorities."
Pro-Hostile Arab Palestinians often turn the discussion on this question sideways, as to confuse the issue. But make no mistake, in the end, the strategic losses were borne by the Arab-Palestinians. And they were taken advantage of by the Arab League.
Most Respectfully,
R
A defeat and a loss are two different things. You are asking the wrong question(s).
(COMMENT)Just ask yourself.
What did Lebanon lose?
What did Syria lose?
What did Jordan lose?
What did Iraq lose?
What did Egypt lose?
It is the more strategic question.
The Arab League forces were essentially trying to negate the implementation of Resolution 181(II), in which, as the PLO-NAD points out, allocated 55% of the remaining territory under the Mandate for Palestine to the Jewish State. And in May 1948, that was the portion that Israel declared independence over. But, at the end of the 1948-1948 conflict, and at the establishment of the Armistice, Israel had operational control over 78% of the territory formerly under the Mandate. The combined effort of the Arab League Forces lost the Arab Palestinian approximately 48% of the portion allocated to the Arab State.
It is not about what the individual Arab Contingents "lost" --- but what they gambled and lost in terms of Arab-Palestinian territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Arab-Palestinians paid the overhead for the tactical failures of the Arab League Forces.
Additionally, the Hashemite Kingdom used the assault to capture about 80% of the West Bank. And the Egyptians used the assault to secure the Gaza Strip. At the end of the 1948-1949 War of Independence, the territory (≈ 45% of the territory formerly under the Mandate) allocated for the Arab State under Resolution 181(II) was completely absorbed. What was not under the control of the Israelis, was under the control of the Jordanians and Egyptians. The Israelis controlled about ≈48% of the Arab State allocation with the remainder (≈ 52% of the Arab State allocation) went to the Egyptians (Gaza Strip) and Jordanians (about ≈ 80% of the West Bank).
It's not about what the combined military resources of the Arab League lost. It is all about what the Arab-Palestinian lost? After all, the Arab League indicated that it was all about protecting the Arab Palestinians and their legacy. At the assumption of the Armistice, what did the Arab Palestinians gain??? NOTHING! They lost control of everything. And, what survivors and walking wound remained of the Arab-Palestinian irregular forces, could not be reconstituted and were essentially rendered totally ineffective. "In October 1948, Jordan gave an order to its forces, the Arab Legion, to surround and forcibly disarm various units of the Holy War Army." This was originally a force of ≈ 50,000 men (not counting the smaller irregulars of the Arab Liberation Army). "In the early summer of 1948 some Druze fighters, mainly from Syria, along with Palestinian Druze from the villages ofDaliyat al-Karmil and Isfiya on Mount Carmel, defected from the Arab Liberation Army to the Israel Defense Forces. These formed the core of the IDF's only Arabic-speaking unit, the Unit of the Minorities."
Pro-Hostile Arab Palestinians often turn the discussion on this question sideways, as to confuse the issue. But make no mistake, in the end, the strategic losses were borne by the Arab-Palestinians. And they were taken advantage of by the Arab League.
Most Respectfully,
R