With thanks to Yoram Mouchenik for contributing to this important file of his father’s service to Machal and the State of Israel. June 2022.
For another detailed article on the French Machal (in English) – click here
Le Mahal
Pierre Mouchenik (PM) – 1921-1967
From June 1948, depending on the massive arrival of foreign volunteers, the Israeli General Staff decided to set up, within the Tsahal , an office named Mahal in order to administer all the mahalniks with the creation of two specific sections: the English section and the French section, the latter being numerically the largest in the summer of 1948. From June 1948, Pierre Mouchenik (PM) was within the General Staff, the officer in charge from the creation and the animation of the section of French Language Volunteers (VLF) of Gachal and Machal, for French-speaking nationals of France, North African countries, (mainly Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco ), Switzerland, and Belgium
The missions and activities of Pierre Mouchenik within the Mahal will concern the military VLF within the army and the civilian VLF after their demobilization. His activity with the VLF is carried out as a soldier on mission for the General Staff and then within the framework of an association the Directorate of French Language Volunteers (DVLF) which he created after the disengagement of the Israeli army. VLF support.
Below the following instructions are transmitted by the General Staff to the various commanders of the military camps to facilitate the missions of Pierre Mouchenik. During his visits to the various military camps, he will endeavor to meet VLFs for an initial assessment of their situation within the army.
The instruction of the General Staff, (translated from Hebrew) is again transmitted to the various commanders of the military camps on August 2, 1949 for the continuation of visits of PM in the military camps in the direction of the French-speaking volunteers.
Activities in the VLF Section led by PM within the Army General Staff.
In July 1948, Pierre Mouchenik reported on his first activities and his first observations.
Visit report, assessment and proposals
On July 20, 1948 Pierre Mouchenik counted 1470 VLF, 800 from North Africa, 600 F, 50 Belgians and 20 Swiss, but these figures remain very approximate. In the report of July 20, 1948: he draws up an initial inventory after meetings and investigations in various military, transit, training and rest camps: Litivinski-beth-lid-sarafund, Herzlia-Nathanya, Hedera. It presents a typology of French-speaking volunteers: a first group with a Zionist ideal and the desire to be in a French-speaking unit for greater efficiency, the main complaint. A second group; “carelessness” but very satisfied with this first French officer delegated by the General Staff to whom they can speak in French. The VLFs are scattered in different units,
In their assignment, they cannot explain themselves to their superiors and are punished for their initiatives. They lack the most basic supplies; soap, razor blades, etc. They wish to serve in a French unit. They are very satisfied that an office is dedicated to them in Tel-Aviv and they ask that it be the same in Haifa and in Jerusalem.
Based on these visits and requests from VLF, the first PM proposals are:
– Gather French-speaking volunteers in the same camp
– Creation of a French military office within this camp, under the direct orders of the general staff
– In the front camps, the French are dispersed. They ask to be with French-speaking fighters, to receive books and newspapers in French appearing in Palestine. For PM, these fighters would be better employed within a company made up of French.
– The vast majority of VLFs wish to be incorporated into a specifically French language company.
In immediate necessities, they ask:
– Organization of a sending and receiving postal service passing through France for nationals of North Africa.
– Creation of a Baggage locker, distribution of newspapers to the units
– Allocation of an equal amount of money to all volunteers hired from foreign countries.
In the different visits; there is identification of VLFs from France and North Africa, but no list. In the observations, there is a lack of supervision and the morale is bad, often these volunteers do not have fixed activities and attributions except the chores, They feel badly considered.
Extracts from PM’s pre-report, (see the Pre-report of July 20, 1948 and the more complete report of July 21, 1948.
In Haifa, each soldier calls for a French office which can propose the same goals as that of Tel-Aviv. It is the same in Jerusalem. I visited units at the front where the French were scattered. They demand that combatants of their languages be added to them and that books and newspapers appearing in Palestine be sent to them. It is indisputable that their presence would be better employed within a company composed of Frenchmen. They are happy to know that a service takes care of them. Their commanders considering them as French. I find myself in the presence of a few men showing letting go, in civilian clothes, who wake up from their silence when they learn that the General Staff has delegated a French officer to contact them. I am the first person since their arrival to whom they can ask questions and learn about their situation. They want to start their training as soon as possible and be assigned, others are specialists and want to be employed in their branch. Men who cannot explain themselves take initiatives which attract misunderstood reprimands from their superiors. They don’t have soap, razor blades, military stuff etc. how long will they stay in this situation? when will they get permission etc. etc. All are happy to learn that an office in Tel Aviv is available to them. They want it to be able to meet the following needs:- Receive their mail Store their luggage others are specialists and want to be employed in their branch. Men who cannot explain themselves take initiatives which attract misunderstood reprimands from their superiors. They don’t have soap, razor blades, military stuff etc. how long will they stay in this situation? when will they get permission etc. etc. All are happy to learn that an office in Tel Aviv is available to them. They want it to be able to meet the following needs:- Receive their mail Store their luggage others are specialists and want to be employed in their branch. Men who cannot explain themselves take initiatives which attract misunderstood reprimands from their superiors. They don’t have soap, razor blades, military stuff etc. how long will they stay in this situation? when will they get permission etc. etc. All are happy to learn that an office in Tel Aviv is available to them. They want it to be able to meet the following needs:- Receive their mail Store their luggage how long will they stay in this situation? when will they get permission etc. etc. All are happy to learn that an office in Tel Aviv is available to them. They want it to be able to meet the following needs:- Receive their mail Store their luggage how long will they stay in this situation? when will they get permission etc. etc. All are happy to learn that an office in Tel Aviv is available to them. They want it to be able to meet the following needs:- Receive their mail Store their luggage
-Introduce them into Palestinian families- Establish files for them in order to take the necessary steps to recover their passports, as well as identity papers (taken from the French commitment office with the promise of forwarding them).
– For North Africans to send mail to their families via France
– Search for friends, family etc. etc
Know the commitments of the Haganah with regard to Foreign Volunteers during their recruitment in Europe
PM asks a senior staff member about the VLF commitments made by the Haganah at the time of their recruitment. In a letter in Hebrew (See Appendix p. ) dated January 14, 1949 from the senior officer of the General Staff, the Commander (in charge of recruiting volunteers in Europe from 1946 to 1948) told Pierre Mouchenik what had been agreed for the integration of VLF, certainly relevant in the objectives of the DVLF directed by PM by specifying:
– the admission conditions for French and North African volunteers.
Exit conditions: help to return to the country of departure, help with integration in Israel, help to bring families of VLF who wish it
The multiple missions of the Mahal for French-speaking volunteers
The missions of the Mahal section of the VLF are multiple both within the army and in the Directorate of the VLF. Pierre Mouchenik and his team within the Mahal are particularly in demand:
– by families abroad and various organizations for the search for the missing, VLF whose families have not heard from, relations with the families of VLF who died in combat, families who want to return to the grave of their son/ dead brother and who need financial help, bereavement management.
– the emigration to Israel of families from VLF and others
– The integration, employment, training of VLF demobilizes and in particular for VLF from North Africa which represents 70% of VLF.
– Under the French-speaking Military Section, PM is also in charge of the demobilization of the VLF
and certificates given to them to assert their rights.
Search for the missing
An important part in the functioning of the Mahal is documented with personal letters from families and institutions in search of missing or unaccounted for young men enlisted in the Israeli army.
For families and organizations abroad, the Direction des VLF becomes the hub of the search for missing persons, those killed in combat, VLF whose families have no news and are particularly worried about their fate. Among the requests there are also those of families whose child has died and who need financial assistance to travel and come to pray at the grave of their child buried in Israel.
PM and the Mahal, with great energy are particularly involved in the processes of integration, employment, training, and business creation for the demobilized VLF
– of which many letters exchanged report
-Demobilization, professional integration
-Creation of companies, search for financing, request for industrial contributions, companies and different communities, in France, in North Africa…
Despite its initiatives and its results, the financial survival of the Mahal is uncertain, the solicitations of Jewish institutions in France will not have the expected results.
Continuation of the Mahal’s missions after the army’s disengagement from taking charge of the demobilized VLFs
The military Mahal section was demobilized on October 13, 1949 (see article in the Jerusalem Journal (9-2-1950). But in reality it did not stop its activities, which it continued in an associative framework from November 1949 and formalized in March 1950 which will continue its activities with new financial assistance from the army until May 31, 1950.
The disengagement of the army from the support of the demobilized VLF is manifested by a letter from Pierre Mouchenik to defend the continuity of this service within the army (Tsahal archives 1958-1000827-55)
The official creation by Pierre Mouchenik of the Association of French Language Volunteers, the Directorate or Section of French Language Volunteers, officially registered on March 22, 1950, benefiting from temporary financial assistance from the army.
In 1964, PM delegated to Felix Riahi the task of resuming contact “with French-speaking veterans in order to revive the association.
As a reminder . The Mahal France was not only built from the war of independence but well before with the actions of young Zionist Jews, most often already involved in the resistance in France.
Along with various post-war activities in France (research of lists of deportees, reception of surviving deportees and children, organization of rest homes), Pierre Mouchenik’s missions with other young Zionists were concentrated in the organization of clandestine Aliyah for Palestine and the construction of the future Mahal of French volunteers. PM is part of the Haganah under the authority of Mr Pol (Abraham Polonski), who is a particularly important player in illegal immigration to Palestine.
Among other things, PM missions:
– For the Exodus in Port-de-Bouc,
– Different responsibilities for clandestine Alya, creation and manager of the Maritime Association Zebulon The maritime association Zebulon France, was created in August 1945, PM is secretary of the Association which trains future sailors for Alya. At the same time as accommodation places are created for the return and rest of deportees, training places are organized by the maritime association to train future sailors for clandestine Aliyah.
– managers and representatives of the cover companies : Parimexco and Comptoirs Français d’Exportation des appliances de heating & Domestic cuisine, etc.
PM is particularly involved in mobilizing French-speaking volunteers to go and fight in Palestine: “As early as 1945, I was in contact (secretly) with envoys from the Haganah in Paris who worked for the independence of Israel. One of the most important of these shadow agents is a childhood friend, Pierre Mouchenik. In July 1948, I go to Paris, 83 avenue de la Grande-Armée, after a medical examination, I sign my commitment. Testimonies of Marcel Kisielevska (Fragerman M. & al, 2006, p132), Fragerman M. & al (2006 ). Israel’s War of Independence, 1948-1949, Testimonies of French and French-speaking volunteers. PM will also be demobilized for their demobilization “I was demobilized in Jaffa by Lieutenant Pierre Mouchenik who, at the Grand Arenas, played a leading role in the gathering and transport to Israel of French volunteers. I discover that he was one of my father’s best friends. Testimony of Joseph Klejner (Fragerman M. & al, 2006 , p137).
PM continued his activities for clandestine Aliyah until February 1948 when he emigrated to Palestine, initially attached to the military recruiting and enlistment base nº 9 (today Tel Hashomer). (IDF archives, file 52-227/1949/1949). He participated in the fighting in the Negev before being entrusted with the responsibility of French-speaking volunteers.
Pierre Mouchenik born in 1921 died in 1967 before Jewish resistance and the importance of the Mahal were fully recognized.