Plan+D

"Plan D," a defensive strategy for the protection of the land that would soon become Israel, was formulated by the Haganah and designed as a defensive strategy against the hostile invading Arab countries that surrounded Palestine. Its purpose was to "compliment the preceeding three plans" (Plan B, Plan of May, and the Joshua Plan).

The basic operational goals are for the isolation and conquest of surrounding areas, the procurement of the "three major cities," and cutting off of supplies to hostile elements within Palestine. Though Plan D was created to be a defensive plan, the ambiguous and often antagonizing language of the document suggests that the Zionist Jews behind the plan wished to engage in ethnic cleansing. This is displayed through statments such as "counter attacks, organized in advance," "seige" against enemy cities, "conquest and dominance" or Arab areas, "domination of Arab neighborhoods," and cutting off of "vital services." In actuality, the only truly defensive aspects of Plan D are conveyed through the "strengthening of defense system," "blocking" of attacks, and attempting to "repel" the enemy. While Plan D enacted some measures to assure the defense of the Jewish territory, it was merely a mask for the expansion of Jewish land, as seen in the land advances made by Israel in the 1948 War.

Plan D also led to such atrocities as the massacre at Deir Yassin.