Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

On May 15, 1941, at the national Haganah HQ meeting, the decision was made to establish a national enlisted force called the Striking Force פלוגות מחץ Plugot Machatz.
The first of the operational missions were carried out as part of cooperation between the Yishuv in British Mandate Palestine and the British during World War II.

In August 1942, based on Yitzhak Tabenkin's suggestion that the Palmach פלמ"ח could be self-funding if its members work in the kibbutzim, the Palmach פלמ"ח decided that members would have eight training days, 14 work days and seven days off each month.
The program, called הכשרה מגויסת meaning Drafted/Recruited Training, or Ha, combined military training, agricultural work and Zionist education, and included:
* Maintaining an independent, easily mobilized military force
* Funding 80% of the Palmach פלמ"ח monthly budget via members' labor, while money from Haganah was dedicated to weapons and training
* Developing of a force that would be hard to track down
* Facilitating easier recruitment from kibbutzim and moshavim
* Building groups of settlers, as a base for future settlements
* Educatiing soldiers in Zionist values

The Palmach served as the leading operational force of haHaapalah, collaborating with members of haMossad leAliyah Bet, and assisted by various Jewish volunteers.
HaHaapalah was conducted in two routes:
* By sea – from the European and North-African shores
* By land – through the northern border.
Activities were divided into three spheres:
* Deployment in Haapalah countries of origin (European and Arab countries)
* Rrunning Haapalah operations
* Attacking British targets that interfered with haHaapalah.
The Palmach land detachment operated overland via Palestine's northern border, and managed to bring in about 5000 Jews from Arab countries from 1943–1946.

Twenty three volunteers (23 Yordei Hasira 23 seamen) were chosen from among the graduates of the Commando course, for a sabotage mission to Tripoli.
The mission of the 23 Yordei Hasira became a story of legendary courage and self-sacrifice.

From September, 1940 to March, 1943, the Palmach פלמ"ח conducted operations in Syria سورية‎ and Lebanon لُبْنَان‎, as part of the activities of the Haganah הגנה's Mistaravim מסתערבים.
The objectives were intelligence, propaganda and sabotage.

In April, 1944, Haganah הגנה command put the Shore Patrol under the command of the Palmach פלמ"ח, and the force was divided into two.
The northern company, which covered from Nahariyah נהריה to Atlit עתלית, was under the command of Maccabi Mutzari, who fell in April, 1948, on the road to Jerusalem.
The southern command, which extended from the Nahal haTaninim נחל תנינים to Nahal Sorek נחל שורק, was under the command of Yankale Salomon.

From 1945 to1947, Palmach units participated in military operations against British facilities and vessels that tried to thwart the Haapalah endeavors.
The Palmach developed methods to reenforce Haapalah ships and crews, including 'Escorting Ships' method, approved by 'haMossad leAliyah Bet.

During the War of Independence and its conclusion (1948-1949), Palmach headquarters and brigades were gradually dismantled by command of Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, David Ben Gurion. Palmach members joined the IDF, and continued to fight as part of its regular units.
At the end of the war, most fighters were discharged and pursued civilian occupations, but some Palmach Commanders stayed in the IDF.