page_title: Military Police Corps (Israel)
section_title: 1948 Arab–Israeli War
hierarchical_section_title: Military Police Corps (Israel) / History / 1948 Arab–Israeli War
caption_attribution_description: English: An Israeli military policemand in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. This work or image is now in the public domain because its term of copyright has expired in Israel. According to Israel's copyright statute from 2007 (translation), a work is released to the public domain on 1 January of the 71st year after the author's death (paragraph 38 of the 2007 statute) with the following exceptions: A photograph taken on 24 May 2008 or earlier&#160;— the old British Mandate act applies, i.e. on 1 January of the 51st year after the creation of the photograph (paragraph 78(i) of the 2007 statute, and paragraph 21 of the old British Mandate act). If the copyrights are owned by the State, not acquired from a private person, and there is no special agreement between the State and the author&#160;— on 1 January of the 51st year after the creation of the work (paragraphs 36 and 42 in the 2007 statute). See also category: PD Israel &amp; British Mandate. . العربية&#160;| Deutsch&#160;| English&#160;| עברית&#160;| Հայերեն&#160;| македонски&#160;| русский&#160;| +/−
context_page_description: The Military Police Corps of the Israel Defense Forces, commonly called "Mem Tzadeh", is the Israeli military police and provost. The military police serves the Manpower Directorate during peacetime, and the Technological and Logistics Directorate during war.
  The military police is a brigade-sized of about 4,500, currently headed by Brigadier General Ran Kohav. It is responsible for various law enforcement duties, including aiding IDF commanders in enforcing discipline, guarding the military prisons, locating deserters, investigating crimes committed by soldiers, and helping man the Israel Defense Forces checkpoints
  The corps puts an emphasis on discipline and follows the principle of A Choice in Life, which says no to traffic accidents, narcotics, alcohol, suicide and improper use of weapons.
context_section_description: In the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the military police took both combat and supporting positions. In May 1948, the service was divided into regional fronts. The northern front, headed by future chief officer Yosef Pressman, consisted of 15 military policemen, most of them former Notrim, and was based in the police compound in Afula. It moved to Nazareth when the city was conquered from Arab forces. Among others, the northern front's job was to deliver the Napoleonchik cannons, which turned the tide of several battles on the front. During Operation Brosh, a military police soldier managed to shoot down a Syrian plane using a Sten gun mounted on a jeep. The plane crashed near Ayelet HaShahar. The unit was also charged with stopping panicked Jewish residents of the Galilee from fleeing their homes, and Pressman personally stopped buses leaving Afula and Yavne'el, returning the men and evacuating the women and children to Haifa. After the completion of Operation Dekel, the military police was sent to Nazareth to enforce martial law, and worked directly under the military governor.
  The military police was a major participant in Operation Shoter ("Policeman"). The operation was conducted during a ceasefire, which prohibited military actions, and was disguised as a military police law enforcement operation against an Arab uprising in Israel proper. A bus carrying two military police platoons made its way to Fureidis, where it prepared for an attack at dawn with the combat units. The attack failed and new recruits from the military police were called in as reinforcements. They reached a stalemate near Ayn Ghazal, and retreated on July 24 at 09:00. One military policeman was killed in action.
  On the Jerusalem front, a military police company, under orders from Moshe Dayan and the command of Capt. Ze'ev Katz, was responsible for rationing the sparse food and supplies between the besieged population. The company, whose authority had been expanded to include gendarmerie duties due to a lack of civilian police in the besieged city, also dealt with deserter location and crowd dispersal. On June 26, 1948, a mass Haredi rally against doing activities prohibited on Shabbat as part of warfare, was dispersed with nightsticks and live weaponry.
  In the south, the military police participated mainly in Operation Yoav and Operation Horev, mostly by placing road signs and guiding troop movement. In Operation Ovda, a squad of MPs joined the Negev Brigade on their road to Umm-Rashrash. After the operation, they helped create an airstrip in the area.
caption: Military policeman in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War
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