ARIEL SHARON SOLDIER TO STATESMAN
he euphoria surrounding Israel’s declaration of independence from Mandatory Palestine on 14 May 1948 was short-lived and anti-climatic. It seemed as if after decades of toil, the dream was fulfilled in the most perilous circumstances; no less than five Arab armies were ready to march over the holy land and trample on newly formed Israel. The ensuing ‘War of Independence’ that lasted until February 1949 pitted Israel’s fledgling army against numerically superior Arab forces.
