ARTICLES

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

American pilots, both Jewish and Christian, share a remarkable history of partnership with Israel that reaches back to the nation’s founding on May 14, 1948. On that historic evening in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion read the Declaration of Independence as jubilant crowds filled the streets with celebration.

At midnight, when the British Mandate officially ended and British forces withdrew, the celebration abruptly gave way to urgency. The new nation, home to about 650,000 Jews, was still reeling from the Holocaust. Now it faced an imminent invasion by surrounding Arab armies. The threat of destruction was immediate and real.

Looking back at Israel’s War of Independence, the role of American pilots stands out as both pivotal and extraordinary. What began as a covert effort to obtain outdated aircraft and limited weaponry became a mission that helped alter the course of history.

Israel’s Independence Day in 2026 began at sundown on April 21 and ended the following evening. Despite ongoing war, missile attacks, and national strain, Israelis marked the occasion with resilience. Families gathered, music filled the air, and voices rang out with the familiar declaration, “Am Yisrael Chai,” meaning “the people of Israel live.” Even in hardship, celebration persisted.

That resilience invites reflection on the early days of the state, when Israel had almost no military infrastructure. In 1948, it had no formal air force and only minimal weaponry. When five Arab nations launched a coordinated attack, Israel urgently needed help. Volunteers from around the world responded.

One of the most significant efforts was known as MACHAL (Mitnadvei Chutz La’Aretz), an acronym for “Volunteers from Abroad.” More than 4,000 men and women from 58 countries joined Israel’s fight for survival between 1947 and 1949. They included pilots, sailors, medics, mechanics, radio operators, and infantry fighters. Many were veterans of World War II who brought essential experience to a nation fighting for its existence.

American pilots played a particularly vital role. Facing severe shortages, Israel relied on ingenuity, international support, and determination. Golda Meir later recalled that the country possessed only a handful of rifles, a few machine guns, and just nine aircraft, with only one having two engines. Against this, the combined forces of Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon brought tanks, armored vehicles, and established air power.

Holocaust survivors, many newly arrived, joined the fight with little training but immense resolve. Between 25,000 and 30,000 survivors served in combat, making up nearly half of Israel’s early fighting force. About ten percent of those who died in the war were Holocaust survivors.

More than 1,000 volunteers from the United States joined the effort, including many experienced pilots. Records show that dozens of Christian pilots from the United States and Canada also volunteered. These pilots flew combat missions, transported aircraft across continents, and helped train Israel’s first generation of aviators.

Their service carried serious risks. American neutrality laws made such involvement illegal, exposing volunteers to potential arrest, fines, or loss of citizenship. Some operated quietly or under assumed roles. Despite these risks, they chose to act, driven by a desire to prevent further tragedy and to support a nation under threat.

A central figure in this effort was Al Schwimmer, a former U.S. Air Force pilot. Recognized for his courage during World War II, Schwimmer later became a key architect of Israel’s early air capabilities. Determined to help, he organized the acquisition and transport of surplus aircraft, often under conditions of secrecy and danger.

Working with Czechoslovakia, the only country willing to assist at the time, Schwimmer and his team secured aircraft and training opportunities for Israeli pilots. His efforts culminated in a historic moment on July 15, 1948, when Israeli forces carried out their first long range bombing mission against Cairo using B17 aircraft. The strike caught Egypt off guard and marked a turning point in the war.

Schwimmer later moved to Israel and founded Israel Aerospace Industries, helping build the nation’s aviation sector. David Ben-Gurion described the contribution of MACHAL and Schwimmer’s work as the most important support provided by the Jewish diaspora to Israel’s survival.

The cost of independence was high. Israel lost 6,373 people in the war, nearly one percent of its population at the time. This came just years after the loss of six million Jews in the Holocaust. The nation’s infrastructure and economy were fragile, yet its determination endured.

Today, Israel reflects more than seven decades of perseverance, innovation, and resilience. Its early struggles highlight the importance of partnership, courage, and sacrifice. The contributions of American pilots, both Jewish and Christian, remain a defining chapter in that story.

The prophet Isaiah once asked, “Can a country be born in a day?” History has answered that question. Israel stands as that nation.

Our CBN Israel team invites you to join us in prayer this week.

Prayer Points:

• Pray with gratitude for God’s faithfulness to the Jewish people.
• Pray for families grieving loved ones lost in war and terror.
• Pray for wisdom and discernment for national leaders.
• Pray for the safety of all those serving and reporting from Israel.

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.