 | Capture of Haifa in 1948: Encyclopedia II - Capture of Haifa in 1948 - Background
Capture of Haifa in 1948 - Background
The city of Haifa, on the Mediterranean coast at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Sharon, was among the most strategic locations in Palestine. Under the 1947 UN Partition plan, it was within the area allocated to a Jewish state. Haifa was the country's largest port, and had an oil refinery and oil terminal and pipeline. The port of Haifa made it possible for the Jews to receive supplies and armaments before and during the war. The Zionist leadership considered it vital for the new state of Israel, and a top priority for liberation in the War of Independence.
At the time, Haifa had a population of 146,000, roughly evenly split between Jews and Arabs. The Arab portion of the population had, since 1947, constantly dwindled and by April 1948, only half of the previous Arab population remained. Jews were by then living in most parts of the new city, especially in Hadar Hacarmel and Neveh Shaanan; and Arabs in the two Arab quarters, Halisa and Wadi Nisnas.
In preparation for the total evacuation of all forces from the mandate on May 14, the British begun to remove their troops from Haifa in April. The British had previously controlled the city and maintained a buffer between the Jewish and Arab populations. Their withdrawal paved the way for a Jewish takeover of the city.
On April 18, 1948, Hugh C. Stockwell, British commander in Haifa, summoned Harry Beilin, the Jewish Agency liaison officer, to his headquarters. Stockwell informed Beilin of his intention to immediately evacuate the British forces from the borders and no-man's-land zones in Haifa and that the evacuation would be completed on April 20. Haganah, the Jewish paramilitary force, saw this as a promise that the British would not interfere in their takeover of the city. This was further reinforced by news from Tiberias, where similar fighting and the capture of the city by the Haganah was unopposed by the British.
Other related archives1947 UN Partition plan, 1948, 1948 Arab-Israeli war, 21, Akko, April 18, April 20, April 21, April 23, Arab Liberation Army, British, Carmeli Brigade, Hadar Hacarmel, Haganah, Haifa, Hebrew, Irgun, Jewish, Jewish Agency, Kibbutz, Lehi, May 14, Mediterranean, Plain of Sharon, Plan Dalet, Tiberias, Zionist, mandate, refinery
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Background", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
