which was a detailed strategy to withdraw the entire Jewish community in Palestine to Mount Carmel, forming a large enclave to withstand the invaders. He was Commander of the Palmach until 1945, when he was appointed as the Haganah's Chief of the General Staff, and among other activities was in charge of the movement's operations against the British Forces during the British Mandate of Palestine and in operations that brought clandestine Jewish immigrants to Israel. He was also instrumental in founding the Gadna in 1941, and became the program's first unofficial commander. War of Independence At the beginning of 1948 Sadeh was in commanded of Haganah training camp at Mishmar HaEmek. In early April he successfully defended the kibbutz against a full-scale attack by the Arab Liberation Army. In the counter-attack that followed, his troops conquered a large section of the Jezreel Valley. At the end of April he commanded two brigades in a series of attacks on strategic areas in and around Jerusalem, Operation Yevusi. During the truce in June he was responsible for the establishing the first armored brigade of the IDF. In July this Brigade played an important part in Operation Danny, capturing Lod airport, and in October, Operation Yoav, the taking of the Iraq Suwaydan fortress blocking the road to the Negev. In December 1948 he participated in Operation Horev in the Negev, when the forces under his command crossed the Egyptian border and threatened El-Arish as well as the Egyptian army in the Gaza Strip. Literary career When the war of independence ended in 1949 and the Palmach was dismantled, Sadeh left military service. He wrote essays, stories, and plays. The book Misaviv Lamedura (Around the Bonfire) includes a collection of articles he wrote under the pen name Y. Noded (Y. Wanderer). Sports activism Sadeh was a promoter and educator of Jewish sport. When in Russia he participated in wrestling meets and became the wrestling champion of St. Petersburg. As an active sportsperson he recognized physical education as having important cultural and educational values. As a member of the Hapoel (The Worker) board he set policies and established guidelines and created the Hapoel motto, Alafim lo Alufim (Thousands not Champions). Thousands of sports people and soldiers now take part in the Mount Tavor Race, devoted to the Sadeh's ideals. Legacy and commemoration The Yitzhak Sadeh Prize for Military Literature is given annually in his honor.