The journey through time experienced at the Palmach Museum in Tel Aviv, Israel, takes the visitor back to the 1940s, a stormy decade around the world, and a turning point in the history of the Jewish people.
The virtual tour in the bunker-like museum allows visitors to see history through the eyes of those who were instrumental in creating the State of Israel. Palmach, an abbreviation of Plugot Machatz [Strike Force] sprang from the Haganah, a volunteer military organization that was established in 1920 when the British Mandate ruled pre-State Israel.
By the early 1940s, when the Germans invade Africa, and Syria and Lebanon are under the control of the Vichy regime, the British train and employ the Haganah/Palmach forces to help defeat an Axis invasion. But when Rommell retreats from Egypt in 1942, the British, with no more need of extra forces,
tell the Haganah to return their uniforms and weapons, and disband.
The Haganah and Palmach leaders decide the time has come to go underground. But funds are badly needed. The mutually beneficial plan presented by the kibbutzim to the Palmach and Haganah leaders, whereby Haganah and Palmach members would work and train on kibbutz, proves to be an excellent solution. Over a three year period, from 1942-1945, the Palmach train men and women. The naval platfrom of the Palmach trains SEALS and brings over refugees from Europe, in defiance of the British Mandate. New settlements are created for the newly arrived Holocaust survivors.
In 1947 the historic vote in the United Nations accepted the Partition Plan, thereby creating the Jewish state side by side with a Palestinian state.
The Partition Plan, however, was not accepted by the neighboring Arab countries, and in 1948 the newly created Jewish state was attacked by Arab armies. The 7000-member Palmach lost 30% of its men and women fighting for the new state.
And when the walk through history is over, and you find tears running down your face, you ask when will the fighting stop? When will two peoples be able to live side by side, in peace? And you pray that day is here.
Daily tours are available, but advance reservations are necessary.
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