The original Givati in the War of Independence

Givati, one of the elite Brigades of the Israeli Army, was conceived of on November 7, 1947, and was originally compromised of Hagana Field units and residents of the area around Tel Aviv and the south of the country that were aggregated together in order to defend the Jewish Population centers in British Ruled Palestine against Arab attacks.

Due to the large amount of conscripts in the early months of the war, on February 8, 1948 the 8 Battalions of the Brigade were divided into 2 separate brigades (Kiryati and Givati), with the five battalions (51st, 52nd, 53rd, 54th and 55th) of the new Givati Brigade (known also as the 5th infantry Brigade), under the command of Shimon Avidan, responsible for the defense of all of the Jewish Villages, and their access routes from Tel Aviv in the North, until the Negba-Gat-Galon Kibbutzim in the South.

After the Birth of the State of Israel, the Brigade became one of six Brigades that compromised the Israel Defense forces. Due to the high frequency of attacks on the nascent State by numerous Arab Armies, the Brigade had little time to train its individual units. During the first months of the war of Independence, arms and ammunition were scarce, and the field experience of the Brigades young commanding officers were limited. Yet, due to the vital need to ensure the survival of the state, the Brigade was involved in numerous fierce battles, fighting against seasoned Arab forces on multiple fronts.

The Brigade was assigned complex and intricate missions, including protecting the traffic arteries between Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the Negev; defending the supply routes and the populace of numerous isolated Jewish Villages; and repelling the vicious Arab attacks on metropolitan Tel Aviv. The Brigade was instrumental in defeating the Arab Armies as they threatened Tel Aviv form the south from the heights of Tel A-Rish (between Jaffa and Bat Yam), securing the routes between Tel Aviv and Rishon LeTziyon at Bet Dagan junction, and in securing the main artery through the Jerusalem corridor.

Later, Givati was successful in the raid on the Arab forces' command center of the Ramle-Lod sector. As the war progressed, the Brigade's main theater of operations was centered in the south of the country. At the time, the south included many isolated villages in the area of the Majdal-Bet-Guvrin road. Enemy capture of the road would have meant the elimination of those villages, so the Givati Brigade was deployed to protect the access routes to the villages. In April of 1948, Jerusalem was besieged, and it's population faced starvation. Operation Nechshon, under the command of Shimon Avidan together with the Givati Brigade, were given the mission to open the vital route between the coast and the capital.

Heroic Givati Units overpowered fierce Arab resistance in opening p the main Tel Aviv- Jerusalem Highway. They were successful in not only bringing food and medical supplies to the beleaguered populace, but also in transporting much needed armaments to the cities brave defenders. On May 15, 1948, the British Mandate ended, and the State of Israel was proclaimed. The Arab Armies responded by launching a full-scale invasion of Israel's major population centers. The Egyptian army invaded from the south and the West, advancing rapidly towards Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It's units were equipped with state of the art British weaponry including light tanks, armored vehicles, Bren Carriers, airplanes, and an abundance of heavy mortars and heavy machine guns. Givati troops, and the villages which they were defending, found themselves facing a new, intensified threat. The defense operation took place in several stages. Initially, defenses were laid out in anticipation of the approach of the Egyptian Army from one direction, and the Jordanian Legion from the other. As the Egyptian Army approached, The Givati Brigade was then ordered to halt their advance at all costs.

The courageous troops, knew that the survival of the State was in their hands. Positioned on the front lines, the soldiers were poorly armed with only a few rifles, sub machine guns, and grenades. However their high level of motivation, and tremendous fighting spirit enabled them to hold their own against incredible odds, while weakening the might of the Egyptians. Fierce battles pounded the entire south of the country, but Givati soldiers, together with the other units, held their ground and impeded the advance of the Egyptian invaders. On June 12 following a number of successful operations in which the Egyptians advance was reversed, a cease-fire was declared.
The Egyptian army regrouped and re-armed, and after a month of relative quiet, fierce fighting resumed near Beit-Daras, Beit Afa, and Iraq-Sueidan. The Shoalei Shimshon (Samson Foxes) crack mechanized platoon of the 54th Battalion was organized, and the Brigades 53rd and 52nd Battalions were involved in fierce fighting in securing and holding back waves of Egyptian attacks on the Ibdis heights which controlled the roads between the center and the south of Israel. Givati soldiers fought heroically in all of the battles, and were successful in overcoming the powerful onslaught of the Egyptians.

In October, Operation Yoav was planned in response to Egypt's success in isolating Jewish villages in the South from the rest of Israel. Givati participated in this Operation along with the Palmach Negev and Yiftah Brigades, as assorted armored and infantry units. The aim of the Operation was to drive a wedge into Egyptian forces in the Majdel Beit-Guvrin area, surround Egyptian forces in the Faluja pocket and open a central road to the Negev. The Givati Brigade's role in the operation was the capture of the areas of Hulikat, Kawkaba, and the key road junctions in the area.

The 51st Battalion of the Brigade was involved in intense hand-to-hand combat in securing the hills that controlled the main road junctions. Due to the valiant fighting of Givati's brave soldiers, the Egyptians were forced to evacuate the entire area up to the Gaza Strip. Many sites of the battle now hold memorials to the brave deeds of the vastly outnumbered Givati troops who overcame and repelled the enemy. In November 1948 the Givati Brigade liberated Yad Mordechai from Egyptian forces.

The fields of Southern Israel are now inundated with the blood of 860 brave soldiers of the Givati Brigade who gave their lives in the War of Independence so that Israel would survive. Over 1500 courageous soldiers bore the scars of the fierce battles throughout their lifetime. In January of 1949, the Givati Brigade was divided into two separate Brigades. One of these, (the 17th Brigade), became a reserve Brigade; while the second (the 5th Brigade) kept the Givati name until it was disbanded in the summer of 1956.