Mahal - Les Volontaires de l'Etranger

This documentary tells of Mahal, about 3,000 volunteers, both Jewish and non-Jewish, who fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War for the new state of Israel. They were mostly World War II veterans from American and British armed forces. The largest presence of Mahal was felt in the Israeli Air Force (IAF). A total of 119 Mahalniks were killed in battle. After the end of the war in 1949, the majority of the Machal returned to their home countries. Some remained to live in Israel. Twenty two veterans recollect the conflict, including Israeli President Ezer Weizman. Other international volunteers who contribute to this documentary include: airmen Boris Senior, H. "Smoky" Simon, Aaron "Red" Finkel, Lou Lenart, British pilot Gordon Levett, Frenchman Thadee Diffre (who adopted the Hebrew name Teddy Eytan when he took command of the French Commando unit), intelligence officer Raymond Kwort, Jason Fenton, and Kenya-born Stanley Medicks.