Unit 101 Different Israeli officers of the Paratrooper Battalion 890 in 1955 with Moshe Dayan (standing, third from the left). Unit 101 merged with Paratrooper Battalion 890 upon disbandment. Meir Har-Zion is standing, first from the left and Ariel Sharon is standing, second from the left. Active August 1953 - January 1954. Country Israel Branch Israeli Defence Force Type Special forces Role Strategic reconnaissance Unconventional warfare Counterterrorism Size 50 Garrison/HQ Tel Aviv, Israel. Engagements al-Burej Palestinian refugee camp Qibya massacre Disbanded January 1954 Commanders Notable commanders Ariel Sharon Meir Har-Zion Unit 101 was a special forces unit of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), founded and commanded by Ariel Sharon on orders from Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion in August 1953.1 It was created in order to better deal with a spate of Arab fedayeen attacks against Israelis, which the IDF was unsuccessful in halting.2 The unit was merged into Battalion 890 during January 1954, mainly because they killed dozens of unarmed citizens during the raid known as Qibya massacre into the village of Qibya.13 Beside the Sayeret Matkal, they are considered to be the unit with the most influence on the Israeli infantry oriented units—including both special and conventional units.3 Contents 1 Background 2 Operations 2.1 Palestinian refugee camp 2.2 Qibya massacre 3 Disbandment 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Background Following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Israel was faced with cross-border raids by Arab militants. Initially these were small scale attacks launched by refugees often motivated by economic reasons, but they were quickly adopted by the military of the neighbouring Arab states, who organized them into semi-formal brigades which mounted larger scale operations from 1954 onwards.4 According to Israel, about 9,000 attacks were launched from 1949 to 1956,5 resulting in hundreds of Israeli civilian casualties.678

At the same time the IDF was ill prepared to respond to these raids. The Palmach, its three best combat units of the 1948 war, had been disbanded at Ben-Gurion’s instruction.9 Many experienced officers had left the army after the war, and the Israeli society had undergone a difficult period of impoverishment. As a result the IDF did not have any units capable of effective reprisal, and did not perform well in offensive operations.10 The Palestinians must learn that they will pay a high price for Israeli lives. —A conversation between David Ben-Gurion and Ariel Sharon.1 As a response to this problem the IDF formed Unit 30 in 1951—a secret unit that belonged to the IDF Southern Command.11 Their purpose was to execute retribution missions while operating in compact and well-trained teams. Unfortunately for the IDF the officers lacked the required training and executed their duties poorly, leading to the unit's disbandment 1952.11 Ariel Sharon at a visit to the White House, April 2004. One of Sharon’s final operations before leaving the army in 1952 was the semi-successful Operation Bin Nun Alef into Jordan.12 During the operation he suffered serious injuries, after which Sharon had recommended to the General Staff that an elite force, trained in commando tactics, be set up for reprisal operations.13 After a series of unsuccessful retribution infiltrations by existing IDF units, Ben Gurion pressed Chief of Staff Mordechai Maklef to establish such a special forces unit in the summer of 1953.14 This was Israel's first, and reservist Ariel Sharon was called back to duty. Sharon was given the rank of Major and chosen to command the company-sized unit, with Shlomo Baum as deputy in command. The unit was to consist of 50 men, most of them former Tzanhanim and Unit 30 personnel.11 They were armed with non-standard weapons and tasked with carrying out special reprisals across the state’s borders—mainly establishing small unit manoeuvres, activation and insertion tactics that are utilized even today.1011

The new unit began a hard process of day and night training.2 Some of their exercises frequently took them across the border, as enemy engagement was seen as the best preparation. The recruits went on forced marches and undertook weapons and sabotage training at their base camp at Sataf, a depopulated Arab village just west of Jerusalem.2 In addition to the unit's tactical variation, they were also unique in two ways:1 They were first IDF Special Forces unit formed from scratch, rather than modify a previously exiting infantry oriented unit—such as with the Golani Brigade Special Reconnaissance Platoon. No other unit ever before received its orders directly from the IDF General Staff—the IDF High Command MATKAL, rather than from a lower sub-command. Originally T'zanhanim (Hebrew: הצנחנים‎, Paratroopers) company's officers were the biggest opposition against the creation of Unit 101.3 The reason for this was simply that they didn't want another competitor for retaliation missions. Before the formation of Unit 101 only they undertook these missions.311 One of the unit's tactical commanders was Meir Har-Zion, who was later awarded the rank of an officer solely for his conduct in battle. The tactics of Unit 101 was politically very effective and soon the fighters simply could not keep up with the attrition.1 This meant that the attacks on Israel decreased and the political objective of Unit 101 was accomplished. The creation of Unit 101 was a major landmark in the Israeli Special Forces history. Beside the Sayeret Matkal, they are considered to be the unit with the most influence on the Israeli infantry oriented units including both special and conventional units.3 Operations Palestinian refugee camp According to Yoav Gelber, after one month of training a patrol of Unit 101 infiltrated into the Gaza Strip as an exercise. They attacked Arabs in the al-Burej Palestinian refugee camp, and opened fire to rescue itself and left behind about 30 killed Arabs and dozens of wounded between 28 and 29 of August 1953.215 According to Azmi Bishara, 43 Palestinian civilians with seven women amongst them were killed and 22 wounded.1617 Other sources estimate the total at about 20 killed. Unit 101 suffered two wounded soldiers.17 The raid was heavily condemned by foreign observers, who called it "an appalling case of deliberate mass murder", and was publicly criticized in the Israeli cabinet by at least one minister.10 Qibya massacre Main article: Qibya massacre Inhabitants of Qibya coming back to their village after the attack.

Two months later, in October, the unit was involved in the raid into the village of Qibya in the northern West Bank, then a part of Jordan. During this operation that inflicted heavy damage on the Arab Legion forces in Qibya 42 villagers were killed, and 15 wounded18 .19 According to United Nations observers; bullet-riddled bodies near the doorways and multiple bullet hits on the doors of the demolished houses indicated that the inhabitants may had been remained inside until their homes were blown up over them. The international outcry caused by the operation required a formal reply by Israel. The Israelis denied responsibility, making diplomats and other officials believe that Israeli settlers or a local kibbutz had carried out the raid on their own initiative.2 Uri Avnery, founder and editor of the magazine Haolam Hazeh, claims he had both hands broken when he was ambushed for criticizing the massacre at Qibya in his newspaper.20 The new recruits began a harsh regimen of day and night training, their orientation and navigation exercises often taking them across the border; encounters with enemy patrols or village watchmen were regarded as the best preparation for the missions that lay ahead. Some commanders, such as Baum and Sharon, deliberately sought firefights. Unit 101 recruits went on forced marches and did callisthenics, judo, and weapons and sabotage training, at their base camp at Sataf, an abandoned Arab village just west of Jerusalem. – Israeli historian Benny Morris describes Unit 101.21 Disbandment The widely condemned attack on Qibya led to calls by government officials to disband the unit, which was instead merged with T'zanhanim company during January 1954.11 After the merger the joint outfit turned into a brigade size unit, namely Battalion 890.3 Sharon became the commander of the merged brigade which composed of two battalions—869 Battalion, made out of the original T'zanhanim company personnel and 101 Battalion, made out of former Unit 101 personnel.11 A resident of Qibya at the ruins of his house after the attack by Israeli forces in October 1953.

The merge with T'zanhanim company was actually ironic since their officers were originally the biggest opposition against the creation of Unit 101.3 The reason for this was simply that they didn't want another competitor for retaliation missions. Before the formation of Unit 101 only they undertook these missions.311 Operating as a unit within the brigade, they carried out a large-scale attack on the Egyptian army positions in the Gaza strip during February 1955. Sharon personally led the raid, codenamed Operation Black Arrow. It resulted in 42 Egyptian soldiers killed and 36 wounded, versus 8 Israeli dead.11 The newly formed brigade did most of the Israeli special forces operations during the remaining of 1950's.311 Egyptian shock over the magnitude of their losses is often cited as one of the catalysts for the Soviet-Egyptian arms deal that opened the Middle East to the Soviet Union. Up to 20 such attacks were carried out between 1955 and 1956, culminating in the Qalqilya Police raid of October 1956.11 This particular raid targeted a position of the Jordanian Arab Legion in one of the old British police forts, during which 18 Israeli soldiers and up to a hundred Legionnaires were killed. During the end of 1950s the IDF realised that they were lacking a small SF unit, since the T'zanhanim company had turned into a infantry brigade. That is the main reason why Avraham Arnan formed the Sayeret Matkal in 1958. In various ways the Sayeret Matkal combined the operational experience gathered by Unit 101 and relied on the structure of the British Special Air Service.22 After losing their special forces title, the T'zanhanim company formed its own SF unit— the Sayeret T'zanhanim in October 1958.11 See also Ariel Sharon List of defunct special forces units List of special forces units Meir Har-Zion Qibya massacre Sayeret Special Air Service References ^ a b c d e "Unit 101". Specwar.info. http://en.specwar.info/special_forces/Unit_101/. Retrieved 2009-09-04.  ^ a b c d e "The roots of Ariel Sharon's legacy". al-Ahram Weekly. 26 January 2006. http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/print/2006/779/re91.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-04.  ^ a b c d e f g h i "Jewish Virtual Library — Israeli Special Forces History". http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/special.html. Retrieved 2009-09-04.  ^ Orna Almog (2003). Britain, Israel, and the United States, 1955-1958: Beyond Suez. Routledge. p. 20. ISBN 0714652466.  ^ David Meir-Levi (2005). BIG LIES. Demolishing The Myths of the Propaganda War Against Israel. Center for the Study of Popular Culture. p. 36. ISBN 1-886-442-46-0.  ^ The Arab Israeli Conflict 1949 - 1956 ^ Howard Sachar, History of Israel, p. 450. cited at "Fedayeen Raids 1951 -1956". Jewish Agency for Israel. http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/maps/fed.html.  ^ THE 1956 SINAI CAMPAIGN ^ "Dismanteling of the Palmach". http://www.palmach.org.il/show_item.asp?itemId=8525&levelId=42858&itemType=0. Retrieved 2009-10-15.  ^ a b c Benny Morris (1993). ”Israel's Border Wars, 1949-1956: Arab Infiltration, Israeli Retaliation, and the Countdown to the Suez War. Oxford University Press. p. 251. ISBN 0198292627.  ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Unit 101 (history) - Specwar.info". Specwar.info. http://en.specwar.info/special_forces/Unit_101/history.php. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  ^ Sharon, Ariel (28 August 2001), Warrior. An Autobiography, Simon & Schuster, p. 57, ISBN 978-0743225663  ^ "Ariel Sharon — Biography: 1953 Retribution Acts (Pe'ulot Tagmul)". http://www.ariel-sharon-life-story.com/03-Ariel-Sharon-Biography-1953-Retribution-Acts-Peulot-Tagmul.shtml. Retrieved 2009-10-15.  ^ "Mordechai Maklef- Chief of Staff". Israel Defense Forces. http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/about/History/50s/1952/1002.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-15.  ^ Yoav Gelber, 2006, "Sharon's Inheritance" ^ A lifetime credo, Azmi Bishara, Al-Ahram, 4-10 September 2003 ^ a b Bishara, Azmi (4 September 2003). "Al-Ahram Weekly — A lifetime credo". http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/654/op2.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  ^ Benny Morris, Israel's Border Wars, 1949-1956: Arab Infiltration, Israeli Retaliation and the Countdown to the Suez War, Oxford University Press, 1993, pp. 258-9. ^ Pierre Razoux, Tsahal — Nouvelle histoire de l'armée israélienne, 2006, P125-127 ^ Avnery, Uri. "Uri Avnery — Biographical Notes". http://www.avnery-news.co.il/english/uri2.html. Retrieved 2009-09-09.  ^ Morris, Benny (1997). Israel's Border Wars 1949–1956. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198292623.  ^ Reicher-Atir, Yiftach (September 2008). "The secret remains — Haaretz — Israel News". http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1019894.html. Retrieved 2009-09-05.  External links Ariel Sharon - Life Story | A Biography Israeli Special Forces History Unit 101 - Specwar.info v · d · eIsraeli-Palestinian conflict Participants Individuals Conflicts / Violence / Terrorism Diplomacy

Israel: Israel Defense Forces Israel Police Mossad Shabak Palestine Palestinians: Main: Palestine Liberation Organisation Palestinian National Authority Fatah Hamas Other: Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades DFLP Palestine Liberation Front Palestinian Islamic Jihad Palestinian Popular Struggle Front PFLP PFLP-GC Popular Resistance Committees Influence: Arab League British Mandate for Palestine (1920–48) Egypt European Union Germany France Hezbollah Iran Iraq Jordan Lebanon Libya Morocco Muslim Brotherhood Al-Qaeda Russia Saudi Arabia Syria Tunisia Turkey United Kingdom United Nations United States Yemen Israelis: Moshe Arens Ami Ayalon Ehud Barak Menachem Begin Meir Dagan Moshe Dayan Avi Dichter Yuval Diskin David Ben-Gurion Ephraim Halevy Dan Halutz Tzipi Livni Golda Meir Shaul Mofaz Yitzhak Mordechai Benjamin Netanyahu Ehud Olmert Shimon Peres Yaakov Peri Yitzhak Rabin Amnon Lipkin-Shahak Yitzhak Shamir Ariel Sharon Shabtai Shavit Moshe Ya'alon Danny Yatom Zvi Zamir Palestinians: Abu Abbas Mahmoud Abbas Moussa Arafat Yasser Arafat Yahya Ayyash Marwan Barghouti Mohammed Dahlan Mohammed Deif George Habash Wadie Haddad Ismail Haniya Nayef Hawatmeh Amin al-Husayni Ghazi Jabali Ahmed Jibril Abu Jihad Salah Khalaf Leila Khaled Sheikh Khalil Khaled Mashal Zuheir Mohsen Abu Ali Mustafa Abu Nidal Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Jibril Rajoub Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi Ali Hassan Salameh Salah Shahade Ramadan Shallah Fathi Shaqaqi Ahmed Yassin 1920 Palestine riots 1921 Jaffa riots 1929 Palestine riots 1929 Hebron massacre 1936–1939 Arab revolt 1930s Irgun attacks 1947 Jerusalem riots 1948 Arab-Israeli War · 1948 war massacres · 1948 Deir Yassin massacre · 1948 Exodus from Lydda and Ramla · 1948 Hadassah medical convoy massacre · 1948 Palestinian exodus 1948-1967 Jewish exodus from Arab lands 1948-1967 Terrorist attacks against Israel The retribution operations · 1953-1955 Unit 101 1966 Samu Incident 1967 Six-Day War 1968 Battle of Karameh 1969-1970 War of Attrition 1970 Avivim school bus massacre 1970 Black September in Jordan 1972 Operation Isotope 1972 Munich massacre · 1972 Operation Wrath of God · 1972 Israeli aerial raid on Lebanon · 1973 Israeli raid on Lebanon 1973 Yom Kippur War 1974 Kiryat Shmona massacre 1974 Ma'alot massacre 1975 Savoy Hotel attack 1975 Zion Square bombing 1976 Operation Entebbe 1978 Coastal Road massacre 1978 South Lebanon conflict 1980 Misgav Am attack 1982 Lebanon War · 1982 Siege of Beirut · 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre 1984 Bus 300 hijacking 1985 PLO ships bombing 1985 Operation Wooden Leg 1987 Night of the Gliders 1987–1990 Intifada · 1988 Tunis Raid · 1989 Bus 405 attack 1993–1999 Palestinian suicide attacks 1994 Cave of the Patriarchs massacre 1994 Wachsman rescue attempt 2000–2008 Al-Aqsa Intifada · Palestinian rocket attacks (list) · Palestinian suicide attacks · Massacres during Al-Aqsa Intifada · Assassinations during Al-Aqsa Intifada 2000 October 2000 events 2001 Santorini 2002 Operation Noah's Ark 2002 Operation Defensive Shield · Battle of Jenin · Siege of Bethlehem · Battle of Nablus 2002 Operation Determined Path 2003 Abu Hassan 2003 Ain es Saheb airstrike 2004 Israel-Gaza conflict · Operation Rainbow · Operation Days of Penitence 2005 Shevet Ahim 2006 Operation Bringing Home the Goods 2006 Israel-Gaza conflict · Gaza beach explosion · Operation Autumn Clouds · Beit Hanoun shelling 2006-2007 Fatah-Hamas conflict 2007–2008 Israel-Gaza conflict · Operation Hot Winter 2007 (ongoing) Gaza Strip blockade 2008 Mercaz HaRav shooting 2008 Jerusalem bulldozer attack 2008–2009 Operation Cast Lead 2010 Gaza flotilla raid (ships, participants, reactions, legal) 2010 Palestinian militancy campaign

Hussein-McMahon Correspondence Sykes-Picot Agreement Balfour Declaration White Paper of 1939 Israeli Declaration of Independence Palestinian Declaration of Independence 1991 Madrid Conference 1993 Oslo Accords United States security assistance to the Palestinian Authority 1997 Hebron Agreement 1998 Wye River Memorandum 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum 2000 Camp David Summit 2001 Taba Summit 2002 Road map for peace Quartet on the Middle East 2005 Israel's unilateral disengagement plan 2007 Annapolis Conference 2009 Aftonbladet Israel controversy Valley of Peace initiative Direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians in 2010 Palestine Papers United Nations involvement Israel, Palestine, and the United Nations UN Partition Plan Resolution 181 UN Resolution 194 UN Resolution 242 Alleged United Nations bias in Israel-Palestine issues

Hussein-McMahon Correspondence Sykes-Picot Agreement Balfour Declaration White Paper of 1939 Israeli Declaration of Independence Palestinian Declaration of Independence 1991 Madrid Conference 1993 Oslo Accords United States security assistance to the Palestinian Authority 1997 Hebron Agreement 1998 Wye River Memorandum 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum 2000 Camp David Summit 2001 Taba Summit 2002 Road map for peace Quartet on the Middle East 2005 Israel's unilateral disengagement plan 2007 Annapolis Conference 2009 Aftonbladet Israel controversy Valley of Peace initiative Direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians in 2010 Palestine Papers United Nations involvement Israel, Palestine, and the United Nations UN Partition Plan Resolution 181 UN Resolution 194 UN Resolution 242 Alleged United Nations bias in Israel-Palestine issues

Hussein-McMahon Correspondence Sykes-Picot Agreement Balfour Declaration White Paper of 1939 Israeli Declaration of Independence Palestinian Declaration of Independence 1991 Madrid Conference 1993 Oslo Accords United States security assistance to the Palestinian Authority 1997 Hebron Agreement 1998 Wye River Memorandum 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum 2000 Camp David Summit 2001 Taba Summit 2002 Road map for peace Quartet on the Middle East 2005 Israel's unilateral disengagement plan 2007 Annapolis Conference 2009 Aftonbladet Israel controversy Valley of Peace initiative Direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians in 2010 Palestine Papers United Nations involvement Israel, Palestine, and the United Nations UN Partition Plan Resolution 181 UN Resolution 194 UN Resolution 242 Alleged United Nations bias in Israel-Palestine issues

Hussein-McMahon Correspondence Sykes-Picot Agreement Balfour Declaration White Paper of 1939 Israeli Declaration of Independence Palestinian Declaration of Independence 1991 Madrid Conference 1993 Oslo Accords United States security assistance to the Palestinian Authority 1997 Hebron Agreement 1998 Wye River Memorandum 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum 2000 Camp David Summit 2001 Taba Summit 2002 Road map for peace Quartet on the Middle East 2005 Israel's unilateral disengagement plan 2007 Annapolis Conference 2009 Aftonbladet Israel controversy Valley of Peace initiative Direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians in 2010 Palestine Papers United Nations involvement Israel, Palestine, and the United Nations UN Partition Plan Resolution 181 UN Resolution 194 UN Resolution 242 Alleged United Nations bias in Israel-Palestine issues