Jews and Arabs in " Battle for the Lifeline " - bitter fighting for the Tel Aviv highway . Photo shows ; Mahmoud Bey Mahdi , Syrian Commander of the Central Area , Arab Liberation Army , seen ( right foreground ) at the battle area near Latrun , about 15 miles from the New City of Jerusalem along the Tel Aviv Highway - the Jewish lifeline - as members of a gun team are seen moving their gun nearer the objective . Bitter fighting is now taking place in this area in what is known as the " Battle for the Lifeline " . 31 May 1948