Haganah (translated: The Defense) was a Jewish militia organization created to defend settlements from Arab attacks. Formed from smaller militia organizations, Haganah had branches all over the Palestinian Mandate. Each branch had its own journal to inform members of the organization about developments in the defense community. Ba-Mahane was one of these journals, specifically for the Tel-Aviv branch. This journal was one of the most popular of all Jewish military journals because of its mix of current events and its large editorial section. Matters military and political were discussed within and formed the main body of consensus for most members of the Haganah.
Much like how the Haganah would eventually be folded into the Israeli Defense Forces in 1948, so too was Ba-Mahane. Made subservient to the IDF’s Youth and Service Corps, it would go on to serve its role as a mouthpiece for Israeli soldiers and discussing security concerns. What is demonstrated through Ba-Mahane is the evolution of institutions from the early days of the Palestinian Mandate under the British to the present day. Just as the IDF can trace its history back to Haganah, so too can many of the IDF’s military papers look back to Ba-Mahane.
