Kfar Etzion massacre: Encyclopedia II - Kfar Etzion massacre - Background

Kfar Etzion massacre - Background

Kfar Etzion was a religious kibbutz founded in 1943, about 2 km east of the road between Jerusalem and Hebron. By the end of 1947, there were 163 adults and 50 children living there. Together with three nearby kibbutzim established 1945-1947, it formed Gush Etzion (the Etzion Bloc).

The United Nations partition plan for Palestine of November 29, 1947 placed the Etzion Bloc in the interior of the intended Arab state. Very soon fighting broke out in many parts of Palestine. The position of the Etzion Bloc on the important Jerusalem-Hebron road made it an important flash-point. Traffic on the road was often attacked and began to move only in armed convoys. Arab forces attacked Jewish convoys, while Haganah forces stationed in the Bloc attacked Arab and British traffic. Attacks on the settlements themselves occurred. In January 1948, the children of Kfar Etzion were evacuated to Jerusalem together with most of the mothers and old or sick people. The Zionist leadership rejected any suggestion of abandoning the settlement entirely, both because of the overall policy to hold onto all Jewish settlements whatever the cost, and because the Etzion Bloc, reinforced by Haganah fighters, played a useful role in obstructing Arab traffic along the road from Hebron to Jerusalem.

As the end of the British Mandate drew closer, the fighting in the region intensified. Although the Arab Legion was theoretically in Palestine under British command, they began to operate more and more independently. In March a Jewish convoy from Jerusalem intended to supply the Etzion Bloc was ambushed and 15 soldiers of the Haganah died before the remainder were extricated by the British. There were many similar incidents involving both sides. Starting early in May, the Arab Legion together with thousands of irregulars who were mostly local Arab villagers began a series of massive assaults on the Etzion settlements. Haganah command in Jerusalem was unable to provide any useful assistance. On May 12, the final assault on Kfar Etzion began with overwhelming force. The Legion had armored cars and artillery, to which the Jewish defenders had no effective answer.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Background", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki