1948, ISRAEL, AND THE PALESTINIANS - THE TRUE STORY part III

 

3^rd part of 3

Footnotes

1 J.C. Hurewitz, The Struggle for Palestine (New York: Norton, 1950).

2 Benny Morris, The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem 1947-1949 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987), p. 286; Morris, The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), p. 588.

3 Vladimir Jabotinsky, The Jewish War Front (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1940), p. 216.

4 Originally published in Russian under the title "O Zheleznoi Stene," in Rassvyet, Nov. 4, 1923, the "Iron Wall" was reprinted several times, including in The Jewish Herald (South Africa), Nov. 26, 1937 (internet ed. http://www.mideastweb.org/ironwall.htm).

5 Jabotinsky, The Jewish War Front, pp. 216-20.

6 A.S. Eban, "Note of Conversation with Abdel Rahman Azzam Pasha, London, Sept. 15, 1947," in Neil Caplan, Futile Diplomacy (London: Frank Cass, 1986), Vol. 2, pp. 274-76.

7 David Ben-Gurion, Bama'araha (Tel Aviv: Mapai Publishing House, 1949), Vol. 4, Part 2, p. 265.

8 Palestine Royal Commission, Report. Presented to the Secretary of State for the Colonies in Parliament by Command of his Majesty, July 1937 (London: HMSO; rep. 1946; hereafter Peel Commission Report), pp. 94, 157-58; Z. Abramowitz and Y. Guelfat, Hameshek Ha'arvi Be'eretz Israel Uve'artzot Hamizrah Hatichon (Tel Aviv: Hakibbutz Hameuhad, 1944), pp. 48-50.

9 A Survey of Palestine. Prepared in December 1945 and January 1946 for the Information of the Anglo-American Committee of Enquiry (reprinted 1991 in full with permission from Her Majesty's Stationary Office by the Institute for Palestine Studies, Washington D.C.), Vol. 2, pp. 708-15.

10 Peel Commission Report, p. 93 (vii).

11 For early manifestations of Arab-Jewish coexistence see, for example, Colonial Office, Palestine. Report on Palestine Administration, 1923 (London: HMSO, 1924), p. 26; Colonial Office, Palestine. Report on Palestine Administration, 1924 (London: HMSO, 1925), pp. 28, 32, 50; Colonial Office, Palestine. Report on Palestine Administration, 1926 (London: HMSO, 1927), p. 33; Colonial Office, Palestine: Report of the High Commissioner on the Administration of Palestine 1920-1925 (London: HMSO, 1925), pp. 40-41; Chaim Weizmann, "Progress and Problems," Confidential Report to Colonial Office, Feb. 15, 1922, The Letters and Papers of Chaim Weizmann. Vol. I, Series B, August 1898-July 1931 (New Brunswick & Jerusalem: Transaction Books & Israel Universities Press, 1983), p. 366; Frederick H. Kisch, Palestine Diary (London: Victor Gollancz, 1938), pp. 48-49, 54, 73.

12 Peel Commission Report, pp. 63, 271.

13 "Conversation with Awni Abdel Hadi," June 3, 1920, Hagana Archive (hereinafter HA), 80/145/11.

14 Kenneth W. Stein, The Land Question in Palestine, 1917-1939 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1984), pp. 182, 228-39.

15 While in 1936, according to official British statistics, 195 Arabs were killed by their Arab brothers, compared with 37 Britishmen and 80 Jews, two years later these figures rose to 503 Arab fatalities, compared with 255 and 77 Jewish and British deaths respectively. Fatalities in 1939 remained on a similar level: 414 Palestinian Arabs murdered by Arab gangs, as opposed to 94 Jews and 37 Brits. Some Palestinian Arab sources put the number of murdered Arabs at a staggering 3,000-4,500.

In a letter to Abdel Qader Husseini on November 18, 1938, Hassan Saleme, styling himself "Leader of Jaffa, Ramallah, and Lydda Area," informed his fellow gang leader that "complaints are being received from the villagers of the Jerusalem District as a result of pillaging, looting, killing, and torturing committed by some of the vile people who are wearing the clothing of the holy warriors [i.e., members of "the Holy Jihad," as Abdel Qader's force was called]. . . . I admit that there are among the murdered people some who have been sentenced to death, but what are the faults of the innocent whose money is stolen, whose cattle are looted, whose women are violated, whose jewels are pillaged, and who suffer in many other ways of which you have undoubtedly heard? Our rebellion has become a rebellion against the villages and not one against the Government or the Jews."

See: A Survey of Palestine, Vol. 1, pp. 38, 46, 49; General Staff H.Q., Jerusalem, "History of the Disturbances in Palestine 1936-1939," Dec. 1939, Public Record Office (hereinafter PRO), WO 191/88; Kenneth Waring, "Arab Against Arab: Evidence of Rebel Documents," Times, Jan. 18, 1939. For an annotated Hebrew translation of a comprehensive collection of original documents of the Arab gangs see Ezra Danin (ed.), Te'udot Udmuyot Meginzei Haknufiot Ha'arviot Bemoraot 1936-1939 (Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1981; first published in 1944).

16 Thus, for example, Arab purchases of Jewish wheat dropped dramatically in 1937 but rose sharply the following year owing to particularly poor crops, with some 70 percent of the Jewish wheat sold to the Arab sector. Conversely, prior to the 1936-39 violence, about a third of the Palestinian Arab agricultural output was sold to the Jewish sector. Even land sales to Jews continued apace, with the lion' s share of the 1,300-plus transactions in 1936-39 involving ordinary people. Likewise, when in December 1938 the Jewish workers of the port of Haifa refused service to a German ship after a German naval officer insulted a Jewish porter, their Arab colleagues swiftly followed suit.

See Abramowitz and Guelfat Hameshek Ha'arvi, pp. 99-105; Stein, The Land Question, p. 182; "Minutes of the Meeting of the Jewish Agency' s Executive," Jan. 1, 1939, David Ben-Gurion Archive, Sde Boker (hereinafter BGA).

17 See, for example, Hashmona'i to Ben Yehuda, "Relations with Neighboring Villages, Dec. 24, 1947, Israel Defense Forces Archives (hereinafter IDFA) 1948/500/28; Hashmona'i to Shadmi, "The Suba Village," Dec. 22, 1947, IDFA, 1948/500/32; 01104 to Tene, "Relations between Qatanna and Ma'ale Hahamisha," Dec. 23, 1947, ibid.; Yavne, "Beit Hanina," Jan. 2, 1947 & "The Qiryat Anavim-Abu Gosh Area" Jan. 7, 1948, HA 105/72, pp. 27-28; 01123 to Tene, "An Arab Peace Overture," Jan. 14, 1948, ibid., p. 46; Segal to Ben Yehuda, "Peace with Maliha, Jan. 10, 1948, IDFA 1949/2644/402; Zafrira Din, "Interview with Josh Palmon on June 28, 1989," HA 80/721/3; Noam, "Aqir's Peace Overture," Dec. 12, 1947, HA 105/72, p. 6; Tzefa, "Peace Offer by Ghuweir Abu Shusha," Dec. 16, 1948, ibid.; Tiroshi, "Requests by Neighborhood Arabs for Peace with the Jews," Dec. 18, 1947, ibid., p. 8; "01112 to Tene, "Kafr Qara and Kfar Glikson," Jan. 25, 1948, ibid., p. 68; 01101 to Tene, "Meeting between the Ard Saris Mukhtar and Dr. Bihem, Head of the Kfar Atta Municipality," Jan. 22, 1948, ibid., p. 71; "Tene News –– Daily Summary," Dec. 16, 1947, HA 105/61, p. 59; "For Our Members, Daily News Bulletin No. 19," Dec. 31, 1947, ibid., p. 127; "Fortnightly Intelligence Newsletter No. 58," issued by HQ British Troops in Palestine (for the period 2359 hrs 18 Dec. 47-2359 hrs 1 Jan. 48), PRO, WO 275/64, p. 2.

18 See, for example, Naim, "In the Villages," Dec. 25, 1947, HA 105/22, p. 123; 00004 to Tene, "Qalandiya Opposes Gang Concentrations," Dec. 30, 1947, IDFA 1948/500/28; Yavne, "Occurrences in Romema," Jan. 2, 1948, HA 105/72, p. 27; Yavne, "Silwan-Ramat Rahel," Jan. 1, 1948, ibid., p. 30; Yavne, "Dissatisfaction with Abdel Qader Husseini," ibid., p. 32; Qiryat Anavim people to Yavne, "Qatanna Residents Expelled an Arab Gang from the Village," Jan. 5, 1948, ibid., p. 32; 02104 to Tene, "Workers from Maliha and Qaluniya who Refuse to Attack Jews," Jan. 7, 1948, ibid., p. 33; 00004 to Tene, "Meeting of Bani Hassan in Maliha to Discuss Attitude to Armed Gangs," Jan. 14, 1948, ibid., p. 46; 02204 to Tene, "Maliha," Jan. 14, 1948, ibid., p. 47; 02204 to Tene, "Qattana," Jan. 17, 1948, ibid., p. 50; 02104 to Tene, "Anti-Gang Resistance," Jan. 28, 1948, ibid., p. 72; 02104 to Tene, "Refusal to Provide Volunteers," Feb. 1, 1948, ibid., p. 76; 02104 to Tene, "Villages' Fear of Retaliation," Feb. 1, 1948, ibid., p. 80; Yavne, "Battir and other Villages," Feb. 4, 1948, ibid., p. 84; 02204 to Tene, "Opposition to Abdel Qader's Operation by Qastel," Feb. 6, 1948, ibid., p. 91; Yavne to Tene, "Shu'afat," Feb. 24, 1948, ibid., p. 114; Hiram to Tene, "Shafa'amr," Feb. 26, 1948, ibid., p. 116; "Tene News," Dec. 31, 1947 & Jan. 2-4, 1948, HA 105/61, pp. 121-22, 158-59; "Annex to News Concentration No. 100," Feb. 20 & 24, 1948, IDFA 1949/2605/2; "Maliha," Jan. 1, 1948, IDFA 1949/2504/4; log of events in Suba, Mar. 2-Apr. 13, 1948, IDFA 1949/5545/114, p. 141.

19 "For Our Members. Daily Information Circular No. 12," Dec. 21, 1947, HA 105/61, p. 70; "Tene New," Dec. 31, 1947, ibid., p. 125; Avram, "Jammasin: News Items," Jan. 9, 1948, HA 105/23, p. 114; Tiroshi, "Dispatch of Arab Merchandise," Dec. 15, 1947, HA 105/72, p. 7; Naim to Tene, "Position of the Gaza Felaheen," Feb. 15, 1948, ibid., p. 103; Naim to Tene, "Evacuation of the Wahidat Territory," Feb. 22, 1948, ibid., p. 111; 00004 to Tene, "Moods in Sur Bahir," Dec. 22, 1947, IDFA 1948/500/60; Avram, "The Miska Arabs," Jan. 8, 1948, HA 105/54a, p. 19; Hiram to Tene, "Meeting between the Yehiam Mukhtar and Tarshiha's Mayor," Feb. 22, 1948, ibid., p. 31; Tiroshi to Tene, "Appeal for a Ceasefire and Good Neighborly Relations," Apr. 7, 1948, ibid., p. 53; Tiroshi to Tene, "Peace Overtures by Baqa Gharbiya," Apr. 20, 1948, ibid., p. 79; Grar to Tene, "Yasur," Apr. 21, 1948, ibid., p. 84.

20 David Ben-Gurion, Behilahem Israel (Tel Aviv: Mapai Publishing House, 1951; third ed.), pp. 28, 43, 54; Ben-Gurion, Bama'araha, Vol. 4, Part 2, p. 284.

21 Meahorei Hapargod (Hebrew edition of an official report by an Iraqi parliamentary committee on the 1948 war, published in September 1949; Tel Aviv: Ma'arachot, 1954), pp. 9, 98-99; "Fortnightly Intelligence Newsletter No. 64," issued by HQ British Troops in Palestine (for the period 2359 hrs 10 Mar.-2359 hrs 23 Mar. 48), PRO, WO 275/64, p. 4. Arif al-Arif, al-Nakba: Nakbat Bait al-Maqdis wa-l-Firdaws al-Mafqud (Beirut: al-Maktaba al-Asriya, 1956), Vol. 1, pp. 138-39.

22 Walid Khalidi, From Haven to Conquest: Readings in Zionism and the Palestine Problem Until 1948 (Washington, D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies, 1987), p. lxix.

23 Ben-Gurion, Bama'araha, Vol. 4, Part 2, p. 260; Hebrew translation of Hajj Amin Husseini's interview with Le Journal d'Egypt on Nov. 10, 1947, HA, 105/105a, p. 47; Radio Beirut, Nov. 12, 1947, in Foreign Broadcasts Information Service (FBIS), European Section: Near & Middle East and North African Transmitters, 13 Nov. 1947, II2, 5; "Fortnightly Intelligence Newsletter No. 64," issued by HQ British Troops in Palestine (for the period 2359 hrs 10 Mar.-2359 hrs 23 Jan. 48), PRO, WO 275/64, p. 4; Arab Press Service (Cairo), FBIS, European Section: Near & Middle East and North African Transmitters, Dec. 16, 1947, II1; "Weekly Summary for the Alexandroni Brigade, Mar. 2, 1948," HA 105/143, p. 105; "In the Arab Public," Mar. 30, 1948, HA 105/100, p. 14.

24 Macatee to Secretary of State, Dec. 31, 1947, National Archives, Washington, D.C. (hereinafter NA), RG 84/800, pp. 1-2.

25 According to a report by the Palestine Post's Haifa correspondent, the Arab workers in the refinery set upon their Jewish colleagues already before the IZL's bombing (from Sakran to Tene, Dec. 31, 1947, IDFA 1949/481/62). This claim was amplified by an IZL radio broadcast on January 4, 1948, which pointed out that prior to the bombing Armenian workers at the plant had warned their Jewish friends of an imminent attack, and some Jewish workers took notice and left before the massacre. The broadcast also noted the pre-positioning of cold arms throughout the plant and the fact that the massacres ensued in the farthest corner of the refinery, some two miles from the bombing, where the explosion could not be heard. See, David Niv, Ma'arahot Ha' irgun Hatzva'i Hale'umi (Tel Aviv: Hadar, 1980), Vol. 6, pp. 19-20. For contemporary reports on the massacre, see: "Report of the Communal Commission of Inquiry on the Haifa Refinery's Disaster (Dec. 30, 1947), Jan. 25, 1948, HA 80/460/11; "The Refinery Massacre," HA 80/460/11; "Information Bulletin," No. 30, Dec. 30, 1947, HA 105/61, p. 117; "To Our Members –– Daily information Bulletin," Dec. 31, 1947, HA 105/61, p. 126.

26 The IZL categorically denied any massacres, claiming that the casualties had been caused in the course of heavy fighting. The eminent Palestinian historian Arif al-Arif concedes the occurrence of heavy fighting. He claims that the villagers killed more than 100 Jewish fighters (the actual figure was four dead and 32 wounded), but alleges that only seven of the 110 Arab fatalities were killed in action and that the rest were peaceful civilians murdered in their homes (al-Nakba, p. 173). By contrast, a Hagana intelligence report issued three days after the event underscores the operational incompetence and disarray of the attacking forces, as well as their lack of discipline (manifested inter alia in acts of plunder), but makes no mention of a massacre. al-Nakba, p. 173; Yavne to Tene, "The Etzel and Lehi Operation in Deir Yasin," Apr. 12, 1948, IDFA 1948/500/35; Irgun Command, "Statement on the Deir Yasin Affair" & "Statement" & "Condemn the Hypocrisy," April 1948, Irgun Archive (hereinafter IA), K4-4/10. For mid-1950's affidavits of battle participants denying any massacre see: IA, K4-1/10, 9/10. An extensive collection of press and scholarly writings can be found in IDFA 2004/26/70. See also: "Deir Yasin Occupied by the Irgun and Lehi" & "The Jewish Agency Condemns the Irgun and Lehi Operation in Deir Yasin" & "The Chief Rabbinate Strongly Condemns the Deir Yasin Incident," Ha'aretz, Apr. 11, 12, 1948; "Battle Participant Evidence: 60 Hours in Deir Yasin," Mivrak, Apr. 19, 1948, IA K4; High Commissioner for Palestine to Secretary of State for the Colonies, "Deir Yasin," Apr. 13, 1948, Cunningham Papers, Middle East Center, St. Antony's College, Oxford University; High Commissioner for Palestine to Secretary of State for the Colonies, "Weekly Intelligence Appreciation," Apr. 17, 1948, Cunningham Papers; "An Arab from Deir Yasin Reveals on the Deir Yasin Anniversary: The Jews Didn't Plan a Massacre but Conducted a Battle," Herut, Jun. 3, 1953; "Prime Minister Menachem Begin in Interview with Lord Bethel: Deir Yasin –– a tragedy in the Irgun's history, but casualties were caused in the course of fighting; there was no massacre," Yediot Aharonot, Jun. 22, 1979.

27 Dov Joseph, The Faithful City: the Siege of Jerusalem, 1948 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1960), pp. 74-75; Harry Levin, Jerusalem Embattled. A Diary of the City under Siege, March 25, 1948 to July 18, 1948 (London: Victor Gollancz, 1950), p. 70; Jerusalem Headquarters, "Haddassah University, Feb. 17-Jun. 22, 1948," IDFA 1948/500/44; "Conclusions of the Commission of Inquiry about the Sheik Jarah Disaster of Apr. 13, 1948," Apr. 18, 1948 HA 57/95; "Report by Shalom Hurwitz on the Mount Scopus Convoy Disaster in Sheik Jarah on Apr. 13, 1948," Jun. 6, 1948, BGA.

28 Cunningham to Creech-Jones, Apr. 25 & 28, 1948, Cunningham Papers, III/4/52 & III/4/117; Tzuri to Tene, "News Items about the Tiberias Exodus," Apr. 21, 1948, HA 105/257, p. 347; "Tene News –– Daily Summary," Apr. 18, 1948, HA 105/62, p. 93; Kenneth W. Bilby, New Star in the Near East (New York: Doubleday, 1950), p. 30; Filastin, Apr. 13, 14, 16, 1948; al-Difa, Apr. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 1948; Radio Jerusalem in Arabic to the Middle East, Apr. 13, 1948 & Radio Damascus, Apr. 14, 1948, in FBIS, Apr. 15, 1948, p. II4; Radio al-Sharq al-Adna (Jerusalem), Apr. 15, 1948, ibid., Apr. 16, 1948, p. II5; BBC Television Channel 2, "The Fifty Years War: Israel and the Arabs," Program 1, broadcast on Mar. 15, 1998.

29 From Palestine (General Sir A. Cunningham) to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, "Weekly intelligence Appreciation," Dec. 22, 1947, Cunningham Papers; from Palestine (General Sir A. Cunningham) to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, "Weekly intelligence Appreciation," Jan. 24, 1948, PRO, CO 537/3869.

30 "Tene News –– Daily summary," Dec. 16, 1947, HA 105/61, p. 59; "For Our Members, Daily News Bulletin No. 19," Dec. 31, 1947, ibid., p. 127; al-Ayam (Damascus), Dec. 21, 1947, as brought in "News on Arab Military Preparations," Jan. 1, 1948, Central Zionist Archives (CZA), S25/3999.

31 Hashmona'i, "News Items: Economy," Feb. 2, 1948, IDFA 1948/500/60; "In the Arab Camp: News Summary," Feb. 29 & Mar. 28, 1948, IDFA 2004/535/479, pp. 3-4; "Yishuv Circular No. 16," Jan. 31, 1948, K4-31/1/12, IA; Committee for Economic Defense, "News from the Arab Economy, Bulletin No. 6," Apr. 17-19, 1948, HA 105/143, p. 240.

32 Hayogev, Jan. 5, 1948, HA 105/215a, p. 48; "Among the Arabs," Feb. 22, 1948, IDFA 1948/500/60; 02204 to Tene, "The Lifta People's Position," Feb. 9, 1948, HA 105/32a, p. 61; Tiroshi to Tene, "Situation of the Refugees," Apr. 12, 1948, HA 105/257; Tiroshi, "Summary of News for the Alexandroni Brigade," Apr. 16, 1948, HA 105/143, p. 231; Director of Operations/Intelligence Directorate, "News Summary on the Eastern and Northern Fronts," Jun. 3, 1948, IDFA 1975/922/1044; "Arab News Items," Apr. 25, 1948, IDFA 1948/500/55; "Annexes to News Bulletin No. 205," Apr. 29, 1948, IDFA 1949/2605/2.

33 "Annexes to News Bulletin No. 185," Apr. 20, 1948, IDFA 1949/2605/2; "Deir Yasin," Apr. 17, 1948, IDFA 1949/2605/6, p. 7.

34 Hiram to Tene, "Acre Inhabitants and Defenders Refuse to Receive More Refugees," Apr. 27, 1948, HA 105/257.

35 Thus, for example, after an attack on Ramat Hakovesh (on April 19) by the neighboring village of Miska, the kibbutz mukhtar told the villagers to leave or bear the consequences of their aggression, which they did. Likewise, in the midst of a Jewish operation in the eastern Galilee, the secretary of kibbutz Genossar, together with the mukhtar of the Arab village of Majdal, convinced the Majdal inhabitants to vacate the village and surrender their weapons. In Khirbat Beit Lid and Khirbat Azzun, the villagers were advised to leave since the Jewish forces would not be able to ensure their safety. See: Tiroshi, "Summary of News for the Alexandroni Brigade, Apr. 27, 1948," HA 105/143, p. 235; Tiroshi to Tene, "Vacation of Miska," Apr. 27, 1948, HA 105/257, p. 79; Tzuri to Tene, "Arab Majdal," Apr. 23, 1948, ibid., p. 4; Tiroshi to Tene, "Departure of Arabs from the Neighborhood," Apr. 16, 1948, ibid., p. 89; Tiroshi to Tene, "Vacation of Khirbat Azzun," Apr. 20, 1948, ibid., p. 3.

36 Ezra Danin, Zioni Bekhol Tnai (Jerusalem: Kidum, 1987), Vol. 1, pp. 216-17; Zafrira Din, "Interview with Josh Palmon on June 28, 1989," HA 80/721/3.

37 I have documented the Haifa episode at some length in "Nakbat Haifa: the Collapse and Dispersion of a Major Palestinian Community," Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 37, No. 4 (October 2001), pp. 25-70.

38 A fortnight after the exodus, British High Commissioner Cunningham reported to London that the Tiberias Jews "would welcome [the] Arabs back" (High Commissioner for Palestine to Secretary of State, May 5, 1948, Cunningham Papers). See also: Tzuri to Golani, "News Summary: Tiberias," Apr. 21, 1948, HA 105/143, p. 275; Hagana Operational Directorate, "Logbook of the War of Independence, p. 260; MacMillan, "Palestine: Narrative of Events," Apr. 17/18, 18, 1948, p. 37.

39 See, for example, Qiryati-Dafna to all fronts, "Occurrences in Jaffa, [Apr.] 11, 1948-[Apr.] 20, 0740," May 2, 1948, IDFA 1949/8275/162; Palestine (Cunningham) to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, May 1, 1948, FO 371/68547/E5665/4/71.

40 Tene to Dan & Hillel, Nov. 30, 1947, HA 105/61, p. 5; 00004 to Tene, "Report Summary, Dec. 7, 1947," HA 105/61, p. 9; Yavne to Tene, "For Our Members in the Bases," Dec. 9, 1947, ibid., p. 18; "For Our Members in the Bases," Bulletin Nos. 15 & 16, Dec. 10 & 11, 1947, ibid., pp. 24, 37; Yavne, "Evacuation of Women and Children from Lifta," Dec. 28, 1947, HA 105/215, p. 23; 00004 to Tene, "Arabs Erecting Military Posts in Lifta," Dec. 14, 1947, IDFA 1949/5253/104; "The Old City," Dec. 26, 1947, ibid.; "Families Leaving Lifta," Jan. 1, 1948, ibid.; Hashmona'i, "Demographic Changes in Jerusalem," Jan. 25, 1948, IDFA 1948/500/60; "In the Arab Camp," Jan. 25, 1948, ibid.; "Anger in Beit Safafa over the use of the Village by Armed Gangs for Attacks on Mekor Haim," Jan. 28, 1948, ibid.; "Beit Safafa" & "The Evacuation of Beit Safafa," Feb. 15 & 18, 1948, ibid.; Yavne to Tene, "Deir Abu Tur," Feb. 21, 1948, HA 105/215, p. 81; Hashmona' i, "Annexes to News Concentration No. 114," Mar. 16, 1948, IDFA 1949/2605/2; 01204 (Hatzil) to Tene, Jan. 21, 1948, HA 105/72, p. 52; Yavne to Tene, "Complain by the Beit Safafa Mukhtar to the NC," Feb. 16, 1948, ibid., p. 105; "In the Arab Camp: News Summary," Mar. 14, 1948, p. 2, IDFA 2004/535/479; "In the Arab Camp: News Summary," Mar. 29, 1948, p. 2, ibid.; Yavne to Tene, Feb. 15, 1948, HA 105/215, p. 41.

41 "Tene News," Jan. 19, 1948, HA 105/61a, p. 85; 02117 to Tene, "In Wadi Hunein," Jan. 5, 1948, HA 105/148, p. 195; Tiroshi to Tene, "Dannaba," Feb. 17, 1948, ibid., p. 219; 01132 to Tene, "Vacation of Mir," Feb. 8, 1948 & "The Evacuation of Jamala," Feb. 8, 1948, HA 105/215, p. 44; Tiroshi to Tene, "Arab Hawarith," Feb. 18, 1948, ibid., p. 14; Avram to Tene, "Reinforcement from Syria," Feb. 11, 1948, HA 105/215a, p. 83; "Arab News Items," Apr. 17, 1948, IDFA 1948/500/55; 02112 to Tene, "Arab al-Fuqara," Feb. 9, 1948, IDFA 1949/6400/66; 02122 to Tene, "From Salim Abdel Rahman," Dec. 12, 1947, ibid.; 01122 to Tene, "Assorted News Items," Dec. 2, 1947, ibid.; "Annexes to News Bulletin No. 114," Mar. 16, 1948, IDFA 1949/2605/2; "Annexes to News Bulletin No. 122," Mar. 23, 1948, ibid.; "Annexes to News Bulletin No. 126," Mar. 30, 1948, ibid.; "Urgent Arab News Items," Mar. 29, 1948, IDFA 1948/550/55; Tzefa to Tene, "Vacation of Khisas," Mar. 26, 1948, HA 105/257, p. 106; Tzefa to Tene, "Ulmaniya and Waddi Luz," Mar. 5, 1948, ibid., p. 33; Tiroshi to Tene, "Bureika," Mar. 6, 1948, ibid., p. 33; Yavne to Tene, "Isawiya," Mar. 30, 1948, ibid.; Tzefa to Tene, "Vacation of Women and Children from Arab Villages in the Upper Galilee," Feb. 25, 1948, HA 105/215, p. 20; Tiroshi to Tene, "Sarkas," Feb. 19, 1948, ibid.; p. 14; Tiroshi to Tene, "Arab al-Nufeiat," Mar. 30, 1948 & "Sarkas," Apr. 20 & "Evacuation of Sarkas," Apr. 22, IDFA 1949/6400/66; Alexandroni "Sarkas," Mar. 11, 1948, ibid.; Yosef Weitz, Yomanai Ve' igroti Labanim (Tel Aviv: Masada, 1965), Vol. 3, pp. 257, 277; Yavne to Tene, "Deprature of Inhabitants and Entry of Foreigners," Apr. 18, 1948, HA 105/257; Hiram to Tene, "Arab Propaganda Regarding Evacuations," Apr. 30, 1948, ibid.; Tene, "Migration of the Palestinian Arabs in the Period 1.12.47-1.6.48. Annex 1: Vacated Arab Villages," June 30, 1948, IDFA, 1957/100001/781, p. 4; Naim to Tene, "Evacuation of Arabs," Apr. 8, 1948, HA 105/143, pp. 171, 185; Yavne, "Arab News Items," Apr. 27, 30, 1948, ibid., pp. 309, 319; Tzuri to Tene, "Assorted News," May 6, 1948, ibid., p. 343; Naim to Tene, "Vacation of Sarafand Kharab," Apr. 8, 1948, HA 105/257, p. 290; Tzefa to Tene, "Vacation of Arab Villages," Apr. 6, 1948, ibid., pp. 24, 53; Tiroshi to Tene, "Fajja Vacated of its Residents," Apr. 14, 1948, ibid., p. 8; Tiroshi to Tene, "Partial Vacation of Qannir," Apr. 29, 1948 & "The Qannir Residents Moved to Arara," Apr. 29 & "Qanir," May 3, 1948, IDFA 1949/7249/129; Yosef Weitz diary, May 4, 1948, CZA, A246/13, pp. 2373-74; Hiram to Tene, "Vacation of the Arab Zubeidat Tribe," Apr. 16, 1948, HA 105/54a, p. 67; report by an Arab source on the Arab Legion's order to vacate villages, May 12, 1948, IDFA 1949/5545/114, p. 11.

42 Cunningham to Secretary of State for the Colonies, Apr. 26, 1948, Cunningham Papers; "Fortnightly Intelligence Newsletter No. 67," issued by HQ British Troops in Palestine (for the period 2359 hrs 19 Apr.-2359 hrs 3 May 48), PRO, WO 275/64, p. 1. See also: General Sir A. Cunningham to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, "Weekly Intelligence Appreciation," May 1, 1948, PRO, CO 537/3869.

43 Arif, al-Nakba, p. 179.

44 Muhammad Nimr Khatib, Min Athar al-Nakba (Damascus: al-Matba'a al-Amumiya, 1951), p. 287.

45 Beirut Radio, May 4, 1948, FBIS, European Section: Near & Middle East and North African Transmitters, May 5, 1948, II2; "Summary of News for the Alexandroni Brigade," Apr. 9, 1948, HA 105/143, p. 174; Philip Ernst (American Consul in Port Said) to Department of State, "Arrival of Palestine Arab Refugees," Apr. 29, 1948 (dispatched May 11), RG 84, 800 –– Refugees; Beirut Radio, Apr. 25, 1948, SWB, No. 48, Apr. 29, 1948, p. 60; Campbell (Cairo) to High Commissioner for Palestine, May 1, 1948, Cunningham Papers.

46 Beirut Radio, May 7, 1948, in BBC Summary of World Broadcasts: Western Europe, Middle East, Far East, and Americas (SWB), No. 50, May 13, 1948, Part III, p. 57.

47 Sir J. Troutbeck, "Summary of general impressions gathered during week-end visit to the Gaza district," June 16, 1949, PRO, FO 371/75342/E7816, p. 123.

 
Efraim Karsh is head of Mediterranean Studies at King's College, University of London, and the author most recently of Islamic Imperialism: A History (Yale). Mr. Karsh gratefully acknowledges the generosity of Roger and Susan Hertog in supporting the research on which the present article is based.

This appeared in the May 2008 issue of Commentary Magazine
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