Israel War of Independence — 11 Newspaper Issues

“The Palestine Post NEWS – Temporary Tel-Aviv Edition” — Very RareA cohesive lot of 11 original issues of The Palestine Post NEWS – Temporary Tel-Aviv Edition, printed in Tel-Aviv during the 1948 War of Independence. This is an emergency wartime imprint created when Jerusalem was besieged/disrupted, so printing was shifted to Tel-Aviv in smaller runs only during the war.
Printed just days and weeks after the Declaration of Independence (May 14, 1948), these papers capture real-time reporting of the events and battles of Israel’s War of Independence—cease-fires, front-line dispatches, border engagements, armored thrusts, and diplomatic developments.

Why it’s rare:
Only during the war did the paper move its printing to Tel-Aviv. Limited circulation and regional distribution make surviving sets from these critical weeks exceptionally scarce.

Selected headlines visible in the uploaded issues:

• “ANGLO–U.S. ARMS ACCORD” (May 31, 1948)

• “IRAQIS DRIVEN FROM RAS EL AIN” (May 31, 1948)

• “ARMS BAN MAY BE LIFTED”; “ARABS DROP FIRE BOMBS ON JERUSALEM” (May 26, 1948)

• “LEBANESE ROUTED IN BORDER BATTLE” (May 30, 1948)

• “FAROUK SPEARHEAD TRAPPED; ISRAEL FORCES IN JENIN”; “Lone Jewish Pilot Downs 2 Bombers” (June 4, 1948)

• “CEASE-FIRE TOMORROW” (June 10, 1948)

• “ISRAEL ARMOUR BURSTS INTO LATRUN” (June 1, 1948)

• “ABDULLAH RESPECTS PARTITION MAP — BEVIN” (June 3, 1948)

• “MEDIATOR SAYS IMMIGRATION IS BLOCK TO TRUCE” (June 6, 1948)

• “400 EGYPTIANS DIED AT YAD MORDOCHAI” (May 26, 1948, p.2)

Dates included in the lot:
May 1948: 26, 30, 31 · June 1948: 1, 3, 6, 7?*, 10, 14, 17 · July 1948: 28
* June 7 may show a partial/uncertain date header — typical of emergency runs.

Physical details & condition:

• Size: approx. 43 × 29 cm (≈ 16.9 × 11.4 in)

• Format: One sheet per issue (some printed both sides, per wartime production)

• Condition: Very Good overall for 1948 newsprint; localized rust/foxing and light folds as expected.

Historical Overview — Israel’s War of Independence (1947–1949)

Background (Nov 1947–May 1948):

• On 29 November 1947, the UN adopted the Partition Plan (Resolution 181).

• Civil war erupted between the Yishuv and Arab forces/volunteers; Jerusalem was periodically cut off, with major supply and road-opening operations (e.g., Nahshon, Harel).

Statehood and Invasion (May 1948):

• On May 14, 1948 (5 Iyar 5708), David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel in Tel-Aviv.

• On May 15, armies of Egypt, Transjordan (Arab Legion), Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded; the conflict shifted to interstate war. The following weeks saw heavy fighting around Jerusalem, Latrun, the Galilee, and the Negev, alongside the first and second truces.

Late 1948–1949 and Armistices:

• Major IDF operations included Yoav (opening the road to the Negev), Hiram (Upper Galilee), and Horev (Negev). In March 1949, Operation Uvda culminated with the flag raised at Eilat.

• 1949 armistice agreements were signed with Egypt (24 Feb), Lebanon (23 Mar), Jordan (3 Apr), and Syria (20 Jul), establishing the Green Line.

About the Palestine Post

Founded in Jerusalem in 1932 by Gershon Agron, the Palestine Post was an English-language daily serving international readers, diplomats, journalists, and English-speaking residents, with extensive coverage of local and global affairs.
After the bombing of its Jerusalem headquarters on 1 February 1948, the paper continued under wartime constraints. With Jerusalem besieged and communications disrupted, printing was shifted to Tel-Aviv under the banner “Temporary Tel-Aviv Edition” — a short-lived emergency imprint unique to the war period.
In 1950, the paper was renamed The Jerusalem Post.

Perfect for museum display, scholarly reference, and advanced collectors of Israeli press and 1948 memorabilia.