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The armistice with the Arab states was undeniable proof of the Israeli army’s dominance and victory over the Arabs, warning the surrounding countries that a new and formidable power had emerged in the region—a force not to be underestimated after its success in the 1948 war.
With the outbreak of the first Arab–Israeli War in the summer of 1948, the neighboring Arab states intervened: Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq sent their forces to support the Palestinians. Yet the Arab armies were scattered and insufficiently coordinated in comparison to the organized Israeli forces, which operated under precise and strategic military planning.
On the frontlines, the fighting was fierce. Major Palestinian cities such as Jaffa, Haifa, and large parts of the Galilee fell under Israeli con
