Israeli military veterans openly acknowledge their participation in widespread killings of Palestinian civilians during the year of 1948.
Fessing Up to the Past: Israeli Veterans Confess to War Crimes in '48
A slew of Israeli army vets have come forward, confessing to their roles in the brutal treatment of Palestinian civilians during the 1948 war. These startling revelations have surfaced thanks to Yazkern, an organization founded in 2001 whose mission is to expose the truth about Palestine's history and propagate the Palestinian narrative in Israel and beyond. The group advocates for a one-state solution and supports the Palestinians' right to return to their homes.
One such Israeli army vet, Amnon Neumann, now 82, hailing from Haifa, admits his participation in the Palmach, the elite fighting force of the Haganah during the British Mandate. Neumann, who arrived in Palestine from Poland at 16, claims that the displacement and killings of Palestinians were far from the "normal results of a war" as portrayed by the official Israeli account.
Neumann acknowledges his part in ethnically cleansing various Palestinian villages, such as Simism, Najd, Kawkaba, Burayr, and more. During the Burayr massacre, he admits to using Czech-made guns to force locals towards the Gaza Strip. After entering the village, they were met with house fires, following orders from the armed forces. Neumann recalls hearing a confession by a Haganah officer after the occupation of Burayr, stating that he shot a Palestinian girl in the head after raping her.
Another confessed veteran, Arhamel Khnovitc, now 83 and residing in the settlement of Daghania, admitted to taking part in the Dahmash Mosque massacre in Al-Lydd in July 1948 and the ethnic cleansing of the villages of Jamzu and Dan'el.
"I went to the mosque as per orders from command, keeping my ears and eyes open after quietly opening the door," said Khnovitc. "Then, I fired a Fiat missile, following orders. Many corpses flew and stuck to the walls due to the explosion's force."
Benyamin Eisht, now 85, residing in Bilhaym, shared his account of seeing Palestinian survivors of Al-Lydd and Ramla, walking in lines towards Ramallah, with dead bodies scattered on the sides of the road.
An 83-year-old Yitzhak Tishler, who lives in Mafsirt Tsyon, corroborated accounts of looting houses and stores by other veterans. He also admitted to taking part in the killing of dozens of villagers in the village of Al-Sheikh near Haifa in revenge for Jewish workers who were killed during a quarrel near Rifyanry.
While much archival material regarding the 1948 war remains classified, some declassified accounts highlight the involvement of Israeli veterans in grisly events during the period. However, the extent of direct testimony varies. The Deir Yassin massacre (April 9, 1948) was primarily carried out by the Irgun and Lehi militias, supported by Haganah forces. Academics like Benny Morris have documented cases of expulsion and violence during the war, while others dispute the term "massacre" for such events.
- The Israeli veterans' confessions, unveiled by Yazkern, have given an unofficial account of the treatment of Palestinian civilians in the 1948 war, challenging the official Israeli narrative.
- Amnon Neumann, a veteran from Haifa, has admitted his role in the Palmach and stated that the displacement and killings of Palestinians were more than just the 'normal results of a war.'
- Neumann, now 82, confesses to his part in the ethnically cleansing of villages like Simism, Najd, Kawkaba, Burayr, and more, using violent means during the Burayr massacre.
- Another confessed veteran, Arhamel Khnovitc, acknowledges his participation in the Dahmash Mosque massacre in Al-Lydd and the ethnic cleansing of the villages of Jamzu and Dan'el.
- Khnovitc recalled entering the mosque and firing a Fiat missile, causing numerous casualties.
- Benyamin Eisht, now 85, narrated seeing Palestinian survivors walking towards Ramallah from Al-Lydd and Ramla, with bodies scattered along the road.
- Yitzhak Tishler, an 83-year-old veteran, corroborated accounts of looting houses and stores by other veterans and admitted to the killing of dozens of villagers in Al-Sheikh.
- Classified archival material from the 1948 war implies the involvement of Israeli veterans in gruesome events, although the extent of direct testimony varies.
- Academics like Benny Morris have documented cases of expulsion and violence during the war, while there is ongoing debate about whether to label these events as 'massacres.'
