1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War (84 page)

CHAPTER 4. THE SECOND STAGE OF THE CIVIL WAR, APRIL-MID-MAY 1948

i. Alan Cunningham, "Weekly Intelligence Appreciation," 3 April 1948, PRO FO 371-68503.

2. Harry Truman to Henry Morgenthau, Jr., 2 December 1948, ISA 2267/30.

3. I. J. Linton to Golda Myerson, 22 December 1947, CZA S25-1700.

4. Baron Inverchapel to FO (no. 43), 5 January 1948, PRO FO 371-68402.

S. Inverchapel to FO (no. 44), 5 January 1948, PRO FO 371-68402.

6. Lord Samuel to Clement Attlee, IS March 1948, and attached "Proposals for Palestine," PRO FO 371-68503.

7. Abba Hillel Silver, protocol of meeting of JAE, 25 January 1948, CZA 45/2.

8. State Department to president, undated but sent to Truman on a1 February 1948, and Truman to George C. Marshall, 2z February 1948, FR US, 1948, 5:645, 637-640.

9. Warren Austin at Security Council meeting, 24 February 1948, FRUS, 1948, 5:651-654.

io. Eliahu Epstein, "Luncheon with the Editorial Board of The New York Times on March 4,1948," 5 March 1948, CZA F39-58o.

ii. Policy planning staff, "Review of Current Trends U.S. Foreign Policy," 24 February 1948, FRUS, 1948, 5655-657•

12. Marshall to Austin, 16 March 1948, FRUS,1948, 5:728 -729•

13. Robert M. McClintock, "Memorandum of Telephone Conversation," 17 March 1948, FR US, 1948, 5729 -731

14. McClintock to director of the Executive Secretariat, 17 March 1948, FR US, 1948, 5:731-732.

15. Austin to Marshall, 17 March 1948, FR US, 1948, 5:736 -737-

16. M. Truman, Truman, 388; Weizmann, Trial and Error, 472. Truman himselfwas vague about what had happened (Truman, Memoirs, 2:161).

IT FR US,1948, 5:742-744•

18. ISA, Documents, December 1947-May 1948, "A. H. Silver: Address before the Security Council (19 March 1948)," 476.

19. M. Truman, Truman, 388-389, quoting from Truman's "calendar."

20. "Editorial Note," and Carlisle Humelsine, "Memorandum ... ," 22 March 1948, both in FR US, 1948, 5:744-746, 749-750-

21. FR US, 1948, 5:750,n. 3.

2 2. Quoted in Gelber, Independence versus Nakba, 113.

23. Yitzhak Ben-Zvi at meeting of JAE, io April 1948, CZA.

24. Gelber, Independence versus Nakba, 111, quoting Levy ("Yavne") report of 31 March 1948. Ben-Gurion, War Diary, entry for zo April 1948, 359, apparently citing David Shaltiel, was more explicit: "In our public morale is low, many shirkers, unwillingness to fight. The element [i.e., composition] in Jerusalem is 20% normal [people], zo% privileged ([the] university and others), 6o% strange (provincials, Middle Ages [i.e., ultra-orthodox] and such)."

25. Michael Comay to Golda Myerson, Bernard Joseph, and Leo Kohn, i April 1948, ISA, Documents, December 1947-May 1948, 546 - 547-

26. Ben-Gurion, WarDiary, entry for 31 March 1948, 330-331.

27. Ben-Gurion, War Diary, entry for 31 March 1948, 330; Milstein, History of the War of Independence, 4:244.

28. Bandman, When Will Britain Withdraw from Jerusalem? 48. Troop numbers were down to 10,730 by i May.

29. Pierson[CK] Dixon, Prague, to FO, i April 1948, and John Beith, "Arms Traffic to Palestine by Air from Czechoslovakia," 7 April 1948, both in PRO FO 37168635; Milstein, History of the War of Independence, 4:249-250.

30. Milstein, History of the War of Independence, 4:251-256.

31. Ilan, Origin ofArab-Israeli Arms Race, 174.

32. David Ben-Gurion to Moshe Shertok, 16 April 1948, ISA, Documents, December 1947-May1948, 647-

33• Zamiri, "Guidelines for Planning Regional Battles for the Month of February," z6 January 1948, IDEA 959/49//202.

34. Shiloni to Yisrael Galili, 4 January 1948, HA 8o/1o5/1.

35. HGS/Operations, "Tocl-mit Dalet," 1o March 1948, IDFA 922/75//949.

36. See, e.g., HGS/Operations, "Tochnit Dalet," "Alexandroni [Brigade]," 1o March 1948, IDFA 922/75//949-

37. IQlalidi, "Plan Dalet"; Pappe, Making ofArab-Israeli Conflict, 89-96.

38. HGS/Operations, "Toclurit Dalet," 1o March 1948.

39• "Nahshon" Corps HQ to Battalions A, B, C, etc., [?] April 1948, IDFA 922/ 75//1233.

4o. Unsigned, "The Conquest of the Qastal, 3.4.48," undated, IDFA 661/69//45.

41. Gershon Avner to HIS-AD, 13 April 1948, HA 105/31. A later HIS report stated that "four German captains and two Englishmen" were among the dead (Avner to HIS-AD, 13 April 1948, HA 105/92 aleph).

42. Tenth Battalion to "Nahshon," etc., "Report on Operation "Yatom," [?] April 1948, IDFA 661/69//45; "Na`im (Naaman)" to HIS-AD, "The Demolition of the Orphans House," 7 April 1948, HA 105/31; Ayalon, Giv`ati Brigade in the War of Establishment, 392-422; Milstein, History of the War of Independence, 4:263 -264.

43. Milstein, History ofthe War oflndependence, 4:280.

44. Milstein, History of the War of Independence, 4:306 - 312.

45. Milstein, History of the War oflndependence, 4:322.

46. Milstein, History of the War of Independence, 4:315.

47. AI-Sakakini, "Such Am I, Oh World, "entry for 9 April 1948, 235.

48. Milstein, History ofthe War of Independence, 4:327.

49. Unsigned, "The Re-Conquest of the Qastal," 9 April 1948, IDEA 922/ 75//1233.

5o. Unsigned, "Report on the Reinforcement of the Qastal," 7 [sic] April 1948 (should be 9 April 1948), IDFA 661/69//45.

51. "The Meeting with the Heads of Branches, 4.4.48," IDFA 481/49//18. A similar instruction reached Yadin from Galili (Galili to Yigael Yadin, 5 (?) April 1948, IDEA 661/69//45), though it called for "harassing" the villages into flight.

52. Morris, Birth of Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited, 91, 97.

53. Yavne to HIS-AD, 12 April 1948, IDFA 5254/49//372.

$4. Yavne to HIS, 13 April 1948, IDFA 5254-/49//372-

55. Eli'ezer to Tzadik, etc., "Report on the Conquest of Deir Yassin," 1o April 1948, IDFA 500/48//56.

56. Yavne to HIS-AD, 12 April 194-8; Yizhar Beer, "The Hidden Villages," Kol Hair, Jerusalem, 25 November 1988.

57. Unsigned, "Announcement of the Haganah on the Deir Yassin Affair," 12 April 1948, HA 105/31; JA to King Abdullah, 12 April 1948, ISA, Documents, December 1947-May1948, 625-6z6.

58. Head of the Royal Diwan, Amman, to JA, 12 April 1948, CZA S25-9o38.

59• Even Cunningham fell prey to the exaggerations. On 17 April he cabled Arthur Creech Jones: "Women and children were stripped, lined up, photographed and then slaughtered by automatic fire and the survivors have told of even more incredible bestialities" ("Weekly Intelligence Appreciation," PRO CO 537-3869). The British, apparently, were ready to believe anything about the IZL and LHI.

6o. Hazem Nusseibeh, a Palestinian official, later explained the exaggerations thus: "We weren't sure that the Arab armies for all their talk were really going to come. We thought to shock the population of the Arab countries to stir pressures against their governments" ("Interview with [Hazem Nusseibeh], May 1968," Larry Collins Papers, Georgetown University Library).

61. Alec Kirkbride to Ernest Bevin (no. 244), 23 April 1948, conveying the text of 'Abdullah to Cunningham, 23 April 1948, PRO FO 816/117-

6z. IZL, "Announcement on the Deir Yassin Affair," undated but c. iz April 1948, IDFA 5254/49/372.

63. Text of Kol Zion Halohemet broadcast, 14 April 1948, JI, IZL, kaf-4, 8/13.

64. Begin, Revolt, 164.

65. See, e.g., Hiram to Jeremiah, 15 April 1948, IDFA 5942/49//23; and Yavne to HIS-AD, r5 April 1948, HA 105/257-

66. Entry for 1 May 1948, Ben-Gurion, War Diary, 2:378.

67. British Army HQ Palestine, "Fortnightly Intelligence Newsletter, zi April 1948," PRO WO 275-64.

68. Aharon Cohen, "In Face of the Arab Evacuation," 20 May 1948, HHA-ACP 10.95.11 (8); statement by Ya`akov Hazan, protocol of meeting of Mapam Political Committee, 26 May 1948, HHA 66.90 (1).

69. HIS-AD, "The Migratory Movement," 30 June 1948, HHA-ACP 10.95.13 (i). For fuller treatments of Deir Yassin, see Morris, Birth of Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited, 237-240; Morris, "Historiography of Deir Yassin"; Milstein, History of the War of Independence, 4343 - 396

70. Leo Kohn to General MacMillan, 16 April 1948, ISA, Documents, December 1947-May 1948, 649.

71. Ben-Gurion, protocol of meeting of JAE, 21 April1948, CZA 45/2.

72. Ben-Gurion, War Diary, entry for 20 April 1948, 359-360.

73. Collins and Lapierre, Jerusalem, 283-291.

74. Ben-Gurion to Nahshon OC, 13 April 1948, IDFA 661/69//45.

75. See, e.g., Nahshon HQ to Battalion i, 15 April 1948, concerning the conquest of al-Qubeib and Beit Jiz, and Nahshon HQ to Battalion 2,15 April1948, regarding the conquest of Beit Suriq, both in IDFA 236/53/1; and Palmah HQ to FIGS, 18 April 1948, IDFA 196/71//83 ("to cause a wandering of refugees").

76. General staff to Yevussi, etc., "Document," i9 April 1948, IDFA 661/69//45.

77. Harel Corps HQ to Battalions 1, 2, etc., "Operational Order," 22 April 1948, IDFA 922/75//1233.

78. Palmah HQ to General Staff, "Daily Report," 23 April 1948, IDFA 922/ 75//1066.

79. Palmah HQ to General Staff, "Daily Report," z5 April 1948, IDFA 922/ 75//1066; Levy, Jerusalem in the War of Independence, 212-213; Gilead, ed., Book of thePalmah, 2:24$, 914; Ben-Gurion, War Diary, entry for 25 April 1948, 268 -269.

8o. Levy, Jerusalem in the War of Independence, 222.

81. Morris, Birth of Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited, 121-123.

82. Ben-Gurion, War Diary, entry for 25 April 1948, 369; Tal, War in Palestine, 118.

83. Gilead, ed., Book of the Palmah, 2:247-

84. Levy, Jerusalem in the War of Independence, 218.

85. Among those who fled, bullets whizzing past, were the educator and diarist Khalil al-Sakakini and his family. They eventually ended up in Cairo (Sakakini, Jerusalem and 1, 121-1zz).

86. Levy, Jerusalem in the War of Independence, 220.

87. Levy, Jerusalem in the War of Independence, 169-18o.

88. AI-Qawugji, "Memoirs, 1948," pt. 1:37.

89. Levenberg, Military Preparations of Arab Community in Palestine, 207.

90. Tzuri to HIS-AD, "The Battle of Mishmar Ha'emek," 8 May 1948, HA io5/ 127; al-Qawugji, "Memoirs, 1948," pt. 1:39.

91. Mishmar Ha`emek at War, 13 -14--

92. Cunningham to secretary of state, io April 1948, PRO CO 537-3869.

93. Mishmar Ha`emek at War, 42-43.

94- Golan to Galili, 8 April 1948, 21:30 hrs., IDFA 128/51//5o.

95• Tzuri to HIS-AD, "The Battle of Mishmar Ha'emek," 8 May 1948.

96. Protocol of meeting of Mapai Center, 24 July 1948, LPA 23 aleph/48. Already on 5 April 1948, Yadin had instructed the Golani Brigade to expel the inhabitants of Daliyat al-Ruha and Abu Shusha, neighboring Mishmar Ha'emek (Yadin to Golani, IDFA 922/75//1o25).

97. Reports in Al-Abram (Cairo), 16 April 1948, and Al-Masri, 18 April 1948, both quoted in "In the Arab Press," c. 19 April 1948, CZA 525-8996.

98. Major C. de B. de Lisle, M.1-3, "Present Situation in Palestine," 22 April 1948, PRO FO 371-68504.

99. OC B Company to OC Hittin Battalion, undated, IDFA 922/75//648.

loo. Dror, Life and Times of Sadeh, 356.

ioi. Kirkbride to FO, 16 April 1948, PRO FO 371-68852.

102. P. M. Broadmead, Damascus, to FO, 21 April 1948, PRO FO 371-68370.

103. Ben-Gurion, War Diary, entry for 18 April 1948, 356.

104. Golani to HGS, Yadin, etc., 12 April 1948, IDFA 128/51//5o.

105. "Logbook ofthe Battle," entry for 15 April 1948, IDFA io58/52//i.

1o6. Tiroshi, Eytan, to HIS-AD, zo April 1948, HA 105/31. "We now have the opportunity to cleanse the whole Carmel and Hills of Ephraim areas of their Arab inhabitants," commented the HIS officer.

107. Tzuri,19 April 1948, HA 105/31.

io8. Eliezer Bauer to Galili, Moshe Mann, Baruch Rabinov, and Ya`akov Riftin, 14 April 1948, Eliezer Bauer Papers, Kibbutz Hazore`a Archive.

io9. For fuller descriptions of the battle, see Orren, "Rebuffing of ALA at Mishmar Ha'emek"; al-Qawugji, "Memoirs, 1948"; and Mishmar Hd mek at War

no. HIS, "In the Arab Press," c. i9 April 1948, CZA S25-8996.

111. Unsigned, "Report on the Battle in the Ramat Yohanan Bloc," undated, IDFA 7353/49//46.

iiz. Shakib Wahab to ALA HQ, [?] (possibly 15) April 1948, HA 105/127 aleph.

113. Eshel, Carmeli Brigade, 122.

114. STH, 3, Pt. 2:1567-

115. Wahab to ALA HQ, 17 April 1948, HA 105/127 aleph.

116. Eshel, Carmeli Brigade, 108 -124.

117- Wahab to ALA HQ, 17 April 194-8. A somewhat different translation of the (Arabic) letter is in Eshel, Carmeli Brigade, 123 -124.

118. Segal to all branches, "Summary of Information in the Area from Friday 16.4.48 14:00 hrs. until Sunday 18.4.48 o8:oo hrs.," IDFA 7353/49//46.

119. Wahab to ALA HQ, 2 May 1948, HA 105/127 aleph.

izo. Wahab to ALA HQ, undated but c. 5 May 1948, HA 105/127 aleph.

121. Gelber, "Druze and Jews," 235.

122. Segal to all branches, "Summary of Information in the Area from Friday 16.4.48 14:00 hrs. until Sunday 18.4.48 o8:oo hrs.," undated, IDFA 7353/49//46•

123. Unsigned, "Report on the Battle in the Ramat Yohanan Bloc," undated, IDFA 7353/49//46.

124. Morris, 1948 and After, 171-176.

125. Tzuri, Chava, to HIS-AD, 21 April 1948, HA 105/257-

126. Morris, Birth of Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited, 183.

127. Tzuri, Chava, to HIS-AD, "Miscellaneous Information about the Evacuation of Tiberias," 21 April 1948, HA 105/257; Av, Struggle for Tiberias, 199 -207.

128. Twelfth Battalion/Intelligence to Golani Brigade/Intelligence, [?] April 1948, IDFA 128/51//18. The Haganah attributed the decision mainly to "demoralization," economic conditions, the prior flight of local leaders, the events at Nasir al-Din, and the Haganah's military successes. Palestinian leaders laterfalsely-charged variously that the Jews and/or the British had "expelled" the population (colonial secretary, New York, to Cunningham, 24 April 1948, SAMECA CP 111/4/23; E. N. Koussa, letter to the editor, Palestine Post, 6 February 1949). A (highly imaginative) description of the fall ofArab Tiberias is to be found in Falastin, 4 September 1955 (an abridged translation is in IDFA 922/75//695).