"Night of the Bridges" - June 1946

These days, when there are moments that feel as though Israel is still fighting for its independence and its very existence as a sovereign state, we can look back on one of the boldest operations undertaken as part of the proactive efforts of the Jewish resistance movements toward sovereignty and independence—this month, 79 years ago, two years before the founding of the state.

On the night of June 16–17, 1946, fighters of the Palmach launched a large-scale operation known as the "Night of the Bridges." The goal of the operation was to strike key bridges connecting the Land of Israel with its neighboring countries—Lebanon, Syria, Transjordan, and Egypt—in order to disrupt British military and civilian transportation and to protest the 1939 White Paper policy that restricted Jewish immigration to the land.

The background to the operation was growing frustration within the Jewish Yishuv, particularly following World War II, when tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors sought to immigrate to the Land of Israel and were denied entry by the British. The White Paper severely limited Jewish immigration and settlement, causing deep resentment both in the land and among Diaspora Jewry.

Meanwhile, the underground organizations—the Haganah, Etzel, and Lehi—united under the "Jewish Resistance Movement," which coordinated efforts to increase pressure on Britain. One of the highlights of this united front was the Night of the Bridges.

That night, eleven bridges were blown up across the country—on railway lines and international roads linking the Land of Israel to neighboring states. Among the notable bridges were the Bnot Yaakov Bridge, the Taninim Stream Bridge, the railway bridge near Rosh HaAyin, the El-Hama Bridge in southern Golan, a bridge near Haifa, and others in the Negev and Arava regions.

The operation was conducted in secrecy, under the command of Yigal Allon, and involved about 350 Palmach fighters. Most of the actions succeeded, but at the Ziv Bridge (formerly al-Zib, near Nahariya), a premature explosion of a charge caused the deaths of 14 fighters from the Mountain Unit. A memorial now stands at the bridge site in their honor.

The Night of the Bridges shocked the British authorities. In response, two weeks later, they launched "Black Sabbath" (June 29, 1946), during which they raided Jewish institutions, arrested leaders, and confiscated documents and weapons.

The operation was etched into the national memory as a symbol of heroism and determination, and it marked a major milestone on the path toward Israel's independence. It demonstrated the planning and execution capabilities of the underground forces and the determination of the Jewish Yishuv in its struggle for independence and sovereignty.

Photo: The memorial site at Ziv Bridge, known as "Yad L-YD" (YD, representing the Hebrew letters י"ד for 14) was established in memory of 14 Palmach fighters who were killed. The monument is located near the Keziv Stream, north of Nahariya, close to Kibbutz Gesher HaZiv.