On May 14, 1948 Israel declared its independence. A day later, it was invaded on four fronts by the armies of Lebanon, Syria, Transjordan, Egypt and Iraq. They all promised, in the words of Azzam Pasha, Secretary-General of the Arab league, "a war of extermination and a momentous massacre."

Against the well-equipped Arab armies stood poorly armed Jewish forces, dedicated to protecting a country whose population totaled just 650,000 men, women and children. Not only did Israel´s young soldiers stop the Arab onslaught, but – with more bravery than bullets – they went on to create a military triumph that ensured the survival of the new Jewish State