The 7th Battalion was created in April, with the 9th Battalion being the last of the four.[1] Yisrael Galili, the Haganah Chief of Staff, and Yigal Allon, the Palmach commander, chose Sarig to command the brigade in December 1947, although the residents of the Negev and David Ben-Gurion appointed Shaul Avigur instead, without Sarig's knowledge. After Avigur toured the Negev, he told Ben-Gurion that he would not be able to command the brigade, citing deteriorating health, and praised Sarig.[2]