>>17929988 (OP)
I read a history of the IDF and think the most important stuff is what was happening on the ground in Palestine. The Jews were clever. The Bongs didn't like the Jews moving there because it pissed off the local Arabs, which caused problems for the Bong imperial police, so the Jews would be like "hey, hear you're having problems with the Arabs, why not let us Jews have our own police force so your guys won't be so over-worked." Ah ha. Jews love beating the system. They'll sign up for a Costco membership not because they shop at Costco, but because it's bundled with a deal that saves them money on a new Chevy Equinox.
The Bongs actually halted all Jewish immigration in 1939, but thousands of the Jews joined up with the British Army during the war in case the Axis broke through Egypt. So they had training and also some combat experience fighting Vichy forces in Lebanon and Syria. Especially the "Strike Companies" or Palmach. While doing this, they were sneakily hoarding weapons and ammunition, and smuggling in machines to manufacture it under the noses of the Bongs, and they'd stash weapons and machinery across their kibbutzes. Now a T.V. show for Israel teens:
https://youtu.be/4CtO3ncePWg
The Palestinians jumped the gun in 1936 in the Arab Revolt, and a lot of their men were killed by British troops. Then one of their leaders, the Grand Mufti, sided with Hitler and was basically under house arrest in France when the partition negotiations were happening. The Jews lost around 1% of their population in Palestine during the '48 war, but they outgunned the Arabs, and probably mobilized a greater number of people. Also, people underestimated them. Like, the Jews? Ha ha! But no seriously. It's like Dr. Ruth the sex therapist from the 1980s shooting you (really).