War of Independence

'Not just history': Belongings of Gush Etzion heroes to be publicly displayed for first time

The traveling exhibit is part of a new educational initiative led by the Gush Etzion Regional Council to deepen the study of the area's history in schools.

The hat of Moshe Silberschmidt, the last commander of Gush Etzion, and the wool sweater of Palmach fighter and combat medic Uriel Ofek, April 21, 2026.
Makeshift pistol built by 16-year-old Uzi Aharoni in 1948, to be displayed at the HaEmek Museum in the Galilee, northern Israel, April 21, 2026.

Makeshift pistol from Israel's War of Independence to be displayed at Ha'emek Museum for first time

IDF Private Dov Permat who was killed in battle in the Malkiya area in 1948

IDF recovers remains of soldier killed in War of Independence after 78 years

Female combat paramedic soldiers stationed at their army base in Be’eri, just a few kilometers from the Gaza border.

'Bravery never belonged to one gender': Israel's female combat legacy preserved in Ashkelon


Ramat Rachel: The hilltop kibbutz that encapsulates Israel’s history

Neighborhood Corner: Perched on a hilltop, overlooking modern-day Jerusalem and Bethlehem, is the picturesque and historic kibbutz of Ramat Rachel. 

 THE KIBBUTZ of Ramat Rachel sits on a hilltop, perched between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

A Zionist story from the founding days of the State of Israel

'I am experiencing the birth pangs of the state... This time I am fighting for my country, for my homeland, not just words,' Levin wrote.

 DAVID BEN-GURION officially declares the State of Israel, in Tel Aviv’s Independence Hall, May 14, 1948.

Israeli War of Independence veteran finally makes Aliyah at 96

Canadian-born Irving Matlow, who fought to ensure Israel's existence, finally returns as a citizen.


Has Captain Cook’s famed sunken ship HMB Endeavour finally been found?

The ship which sailed the globe from 1768-1771, named HMB Endeavour and later renamed Lord Sandwich, had been sunken during the United States’ War of Independence in 1778.


Israel locates missing remains of War of Independence fighter

Dov Broder's remains, missing since he fell during the May 13, 1948 Operation Medina, were recovered by Israeli authorities on Sunday.

 Dov Broder and his wife Batya, circa 1947

Journalist and scholar Aharon Ariel, veteran of the war of independence, died at 97

Aharon Ariel worked as a journalist whose assignments, according to his granddaughter, included the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann.

Israeli fighters seen welcoming the first Israeli Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion

IDF commemorates 75 years since Israel's first-ever airstrike

The IAF's first-ever airstrike is remembered today by Israel as a major turning point in the War of Independence, putting the Egyptians on the defensive.

 IAF fighter jets are seen at a ceremony commemorating 75 years since Israel's first-ever airstrike, at Ad Halom near Ashdod, on May 29, 2023.

A young ‘pigeoneer’ in Israel's War of Independence

Yehudit Entin is remembered in the National Library of Israel’s Operation Diary Project, which aims to tell the story of Israel from a collective perspective.

 YEHUDIT ENTIN with a messenger pigeon.

Esther Cailingold: The woman of destiny who fought for Israel

Esther Cailingold was one of a small number of women who fought in Israel's War of Independence.

 Esther: Armed in the Old City.

On Israel’s 75th, founding fighters warn internal division could end Zionist dream

War of Independence fighters and a leading historian express concern over the rift brought about by the government’s judicial overhaul.

 Tel Aviv University Prof. (emeritus) Anita Shapira.