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1948 , חיילי חטיבת הנגב
Negev Brigade soldiers, 1948
Milestones in the Postal History of the Holy LandThe War of Independence
On 29.11.1947, the UN Assembly voted 33 to 13, with 10
abstentions, for the Partition Plan that divided Palestine
into Jewish and Arab states. The Palestinian Arabs and
the neighboring Arab countries rejected this decision,
and the following day marked the beginning of the War of
Independence.
In April 1948, as the British Mandate drew to a close,
the British authorities abandoned their control over
civilian affairs. This vacuum was filled by the Minhelet
Ha’am, the temporary government of the Jewish community,
which lasted until the State of Israel was proclaimed on
14.5.1948.
The continuation of the postal services was a prime
objective of the Minhelet Ha’am administration, and a
significant effort was made to effect a smooth transition
from the Mandatory postal system to the Israeli post, in
spite of the difficult political and military situation
at the time. The military situation left large parts of
the country under siege, including Jerusalem, the Western
Galilee, the Negev and other areas, and prevented normal
international postal links.