The question of how the Israelis managed such an astonishing victory over the Arab world has only recently become a contested subject within Israel itself, after the rise of the ‘new historian’ movement in the 1980s. The myths disseminated throughout Israeli history were subsequently blasted, and new causes for the success were explored, such as the disunity of the Arab states during the civil war and the invasion, also the lack of intervention of the part of the UN and the British, but most significantly, the part Israel played in the expulsion of the Palestinian population.
This essay examines in six stages the key elements at play during the two wars, which assisted the Israeli victory. It will examine the military preparedness and strategies of both the Palestinians and the Zionist in the run up to, and during the civil war. Then it will assess the influence of outside forces on the shape of the war. Lastly it will discuss the importance of the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.