Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Larabawa na Palasdinawa, kasashen Larabawa makwabta, alkawarin fadada yankin da kuma burin cin nasarar Urushalima a karshe sun matsa lamba ga Abdullah don shiga cikinsu a cikin "dukan aikin soja na Larabawa" a ranar 15 ga Mayu, 1948. Ya yi amfani da sa hannun soja don dawo da martabarsa a duniyar Larabawa, wanda ya yi shakku game da kyakkyawar dangantakarsa da shugabannin Yammacin Turai da na Yahudawa. Abdullah ya kasance mai matukar sha'awar ɗaukar Urushalima a matsayin diyya don asarar kulawar Makka, wanda al'ada ta kasance ta hannun Hashemites har sai Ibn Saud ya kwace Hejaz
a shekara ta 1925. Matsayin Abdullah a cikin wannan yaƙin ya zama babba. Bai amince da shugabannin sauran ƙasashen Larabawa ba kuma yana tunanin suna da rauni sojojin soja; sauran Larabawa ba su amince da Abdullah ba. Ya ga kansa a matsayin "babban kwamandan sojojin Larabawa" kuma "ya shawo kan Ƙungiyar Larabawa ta nada shi" zuwa wannan matsayi. Sojojinsa a karkashin kwamandan su na Burtaniya Glubb Pasha ba su kusanci yankin da aka keɓe don ƙasar Yahudawa ba, kodayake sun yi karo da sojojin Yishuv a kusa da Urushalima, wanda aka yi niyyar zama yankin ƙasa da ƙasa. A cewar Abdullah el-Tell, shi ne sa hannun Sarki wanda ya jagoranci kungiyar Larabawa ta shiga Tsohon Birnin ba tare da sha'awar Glubb ba.