Cwsarian Birth
The Edge of the Sword. By Netanel Lorch. (Putnam, 45s.) RECENT events in Syria sharply remind us of the perennial, resurgent undercurrents of the Middle East, seldom still for long. They remind us that the Arabs generally blame their troubles on to the establishment of Israel thirteen and a half years ago. This is a suitable period of time after a war or a campaign to produce its history, as much of the dust has settled, opinions are not so acute or bitter, whilst memories are fresh enough to ensure a sufficiently accurate abun- dance of detail required to put flesh on the bare bones of documents. Now we are presented with a refreshing, well-balanced, sober Israeli account of the military struggle which surrounded the forcible birth and initial exertions of the new State. It concerns primarily the fortunes and developrrrent of the modern Israeli army, which eight short years later was to send the Egyptian army reeling back through Sinai to the Suez Canal. It is a timely, comprehensive book, packed with military historical facts of the war it describes, and is clearly a 'must' for the book- shelf of everyone who takes an interest in mili- tary matters or the Middle East.
The author, Colonel Lorch, as chief of the military history division of the Israeli General Staff, was fortunate in holding a position in which he was able to obtain and sift much data not normally available to the public. This he has done admirably and produced one of the best books of this kind to appear for some time. Some may protest that it is written entirely from the Israeli point of view, which is true to a degree, but it must be emphasised that Colonel Lorch freely and, in my opinion, extremely fairly includes the weaknesses, setbacks and the
Myriad problems that cropped up during this war. Also his comments upon the various Arab forces are both impartial and convincing. The massacre of Deir Yassin is not whitewashed, nor is the Altalina incident, nor the activities of the extremists, the Irgun Zvai Leumi and Stern Gang.
The Edge of the Sword begins with a brief resume of the political events that led up to the war. Then Colonel Lorch describes the country, 'the arena of battle' as he calls it, and outlines the strengths of the Jewish and the Arab forces, before plunging into the fighting proper. The war began on November 29, 1947, when the UN Assembly passed the resolution on the Partition of Palestine, from which date a crescendo of incidents, both of a terrorist and of a guerrilla nature, mounted steadily. At first Jewish operations were conducted underground, but the fighters gradually came out into the open as the British forces were contracted prepara- tory to withdrawal. Both Arabs and Jews jockeyed furiously for position, as they tried to gather strength for the stiff battles that lay ahead. At first the Arabs were predominant, but gradually the Haganah, the Jewish defence or- ganisation, gained the initiative, and just before the British troops left Palestine, the Jews seized Tiberias, Haifa, Salad and Jaffa.
The book's next phase covers the six weeks' fighting which ensued when the newly declared State of Israel had to battle for breath and life against six invading Arab armies. All Israeli energies, men (and women) and materials were mobilised to repel the invasion. In fascinating detail we are told of the fighting against the Syrians and the Iraqis in the north-cast, against Transjordan's Arab Legion in the east and against the Egyptians in the south. One , can easily distinguish who did what, and also see at a glance the dispositions of the various Israeli formations and the parts they played, suc- cessful or unsuccessful. The loss of the Jewish quarter of the Old City, for example, is told accurately and without excuses, as are the failures at Latrun.
The first truce came into effect on June 10, giving the combatants the opportunity of rest- ing, replenishing and reorganising. The Israelis made good use of it, but the Arabs squandered the time away. The 'Ten Days' Offensive' fol- lowed, in which a stronger, better-equipped Israeli defence force (now known as Zahal) Vigorously turned upon the invaders. In the north Nazareth was seized, as were Ramie and Lydda (Lod) in the centre, although Latrun, held by the Arab Legion, stood firmly defiant; to the south an Egyptian attack was blocked and then Pushed back.
After a pause, in October, 1948, the Israelis launched 'Operation Ten Plagues' against the Egyptians who were blocking the road to the Negev. Beersheba was captured and the Egyptians fell back, although the famous 'Faluja Pocket' could not be budged. Later that month, 'Opera- tion Hiram' cleared Galilee of Katikji's irregular Arab Liberation Army. Finally, in December, the Egyptians were again attacked and bundled roughly over the border into Sinai. Actual hostilities came to an end on January 8, 1949, When sulkily and reluctantly, the Arabs agreed to take part in armistice talks.
Altogether it is a story which captures for the reader the tremendous spirit which developed, the spirit which did so much to enable Israel to hold out and fight back against the Arab forces; ultimately the high state of morale was the prime factor in winning the war for them Intriguing characters briefly flit across the pages —venturesome pilots in Piper Cubs, daring Haganah leaders, cirivers of makeshift armoured cars. The reader will be enchanted by the men- tion of the 'Blonde Devil,' a girl section-leader who terrorised the Arabs of upper Galilee. Those who look for the dramatic 'inside story' of the deliberations and differences of the Israeli war leaders and senior commanders will be dis- appointed. The book is merely a straightforward account of what actually happened. The author, now in the Israeli Foreign Service, was a front- line fighter during the war he writes about, spending most of it in the Jerusalem sector, at one time in command of the famous bastion, the battle-scarred building of Notre Dame, on the very edge of the Arab-held Old City. He writes simply and sympathetically, as one who has had first-hand experience of shot and shell and the stresses and anxieties of battle and who knows the problems which confront a comman- der in action, be he a corporal or a colonel. His writing invokes the ready sympathy and interest of all who have been, or are ever likely to be, in such a position.
EDGAR 0.BALLANCE
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