The 35
In January 1948, Lamed Hey, a platoon of 35 soldiers, was sent to reinforce four besieged kibbutzim south of Jerusalem against Arab attacks.
The 35 sheds light on the first stage of the Israeli War of Independence, the lives and biographies of the 35 legendary soldiers, and the spirit of the first generation of Israelis.
The 1947 UN resolution to partition Palestine left a number of Jewish settlements, among them Gush Etzion, outside of drawn Israel borders. Lamed Hey, led by Dani Mass, was deployed to defend Gush Etzion from an Arab military assault. The platoon was ambushed en route and all 35 soldiers were killed in the attack. This was the first battle Israel lost in the War of Independence.
Lamed Hey became the symbol of the Yishuv and the Haganah. David Ben-Gurion wrote he did not know «if there was in the Israeli Defense Forces or in any army in the world, a platoon of such magnificence of humanity, heroism, innocence, and richness of soul as was this platoon.”
Available for pre-order May 25.