The Shapira inquiry, November 1948, was an internal Israeli government inquiry following reports that the IDF had harmed civilians during military operations in Galilee and the South.
Backgroundedit
In the Autumn of 1948 the Israeli army launched two major offensives, Operation Hiram in the Galilee and Operation Yoav in the South. On 29 October David Ben-Gurion wrote in his diary that there were rumors of 70–80 people being "slaughtered" by the army. On 3 November Yigal Allon ordered OC of the 8th Brigade, General Yitzhak Sadeh, to investigate reports that the 89th Battalion had killed "many tens" of prisoners at Al-Dawayima.[1]
On 8 November Eliezer Pra'i, a newspaper editor, received a letter describing the same event which he passed onto Aharon Cohen, a senior member of Mapam, one of the junior partners in the Provisional Government.
At a cabinet meeting on 14 November the committee, having encountered a lack of cooperation from the army, asked for more powers. This was rejected by the cabinet and Shapira resigned. Ben-Gurion then proposed, under threat of his resignation, a one-man investigation. The cabinet voted that "the Prime Minister investigates the charges concerning the army's behavior towards Arabs in Galilee and the South." Ben-Gurion appointed Attorney-General Ya'akov Shimshon Shapira to head the investigation, staffed by three army officers.
Shapira's instructions were:
"You are requested herein ... to investigate if there were attacks by ... the army on Arab inhabitants in the Galilee and the South, not in conformity with the accepted rules of war ... What were the attacks ...? To what degree was the army command, low and high, responsible for these acts, and to what degree was the existing discipline in the army responsible for this and what should be done to rectify matters and to punish the guilty?"[2]
^Israeli State Archive JM25/1/0 - Morris, page 351.
^Rogan, Eugene and Shlaim, Avi (Editors), The War for Palestine—Rewriting the History of 1948. Cambridge University Press. 2001. ISBN0-521-79476-5. Page 54.
December 20, 2023
schapera, inquiry, shapira, inquiry, november, 1948, internal, israeli, government, inquiry, following, reports, that, harmed, civilians, during, military, operations, galilee, south, background, editin, autumn, 1948, israeli, army, launched, major, offensives. The Shapira inquiry November 1948 was an internal Israeli government inquiry following reports that the IDF had harmed civilians during military operations in Galilee and the South Background editIn the Autumn of 1948 the Israeli army launched two major offensives Operation Hiram in the Galilee and Operation Yoav in the South On 29 October David Ben Gurion wrote in his diary that there were rumors of 70 80 people being slaughtered by the army On 3 November Yigal Allon ordered OC of the 8th Brigade General Yitzhak Sadeh to investigate reports that the 89th Battalion had killed many tens of prisoners at Al Dawayima 1 On 7 November the Cabinet appointed a three man committee of inquiry Labour and Construction Minister Mordechai Bentov Mapam Justice Minister Felix Rosenbluth Progressive Party Immigration and Health Minister Hayim Moshe Shapira Hamizzrahi National Religious Party On 8 November Eliezer Pra i a newspaper editor received a letter describing the same event which he passed onto Aharon Cohen a senior member of Mapam one of the junior partners in the Provisional Government At a cabinet meeting on 14 November the committee having encountered a lack of cooperation from the army asked for more powers This was rejected by the cabinet and Shapira resigned Ben Gurion then proposed under threat of his resignation a one man investigation The cabinet voted that the Prime Minister investigates the charges concerning the army s behavior towards Arabs in Galilee and the South Ben Gurion appointed Attorney General Ya akov Shimshon Shapira to head the investigation staffed by three army officers Shapira s instructions were You are requested herein to investigate if there were attacks by the army on Arab inhabitants in the Galilee and the South not in conformity with the accepted rules of war What were the attacks To what degree was the army command low and high responsible for these acts and to what degree was the existing discipline in the army responsible for this and what should be done to rectify matters and to punish the guilty 2 The findings editThe inquiry s findings remain classified 3 4 References edit Morris Benny The birth of the Palestinian refugee problem 1947 1949 ISBN 0 521 33028 9 1987 pp 222 223 Morris p 233 Israeli State Archive JM25 1 0 Morris page 351 Rogan Eugene and Shlaim Avi Editors The War for Palestine Rewriting the History of 1948 Cambridge University Press 2001 ISBN 0 521 79476 5 Page 54 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Schapera inquiry amp oldid 1109379723, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
