Countdown to Catastrophe Palestine 1948 a daily chronology Hugh Humphries in collaboration with Ross Campbell Published by Scottish Friends of Palestine Copyright: Hugh Humphries and Ross Campbell Published in 2000 by Scottish Friends of Palestine 2000 "no settlement can be just and complete if recognition is not accorded to the right of the Arab refugee to return to the home from which he was dislodged by the hazards and strategy of the armed conflict between Arabs and Jews in Palestine. It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine, and, indeed, at least offer the threat of permanent replacement of the Arab refugees who have been rooted in the land for centuries." Count Folke Bernadotte,UN Special Mediator to Palestine Progress Report,GAOR,3rd Sess., Supp No.11 at 14, UN Doc A/648 (1948) acknowledgement This book could not have been published without assistance from the The League of Arab States, London Mission. Scottish Friends of Palestine acknowledge this assistance and express their gratitude. ISBN 0 9521210 2 6 This chronology, and the detail contained therein, would not have been possible without the able assistance of my collaborator, Ross Campbell. It was Ross who trawled the pages of the many volumes of books and journals, cross-referencing the events with the dates. No detail was too small, if it could be chronologically identified. I am indebted to his enthusiasm and patience. Any errors or opinion expressed are my responsibility. In researching the many newspapers and books outlining the events of 1948, both Ross and me learned much of which we had previously been unaware. In particular, the tenacity with which the Palestinian people clung to their land, until terror forced them to seek refuge elsewhere. Like anybody in such circumstances, few could believe that the events unfolding around them throughout 1948 were the result of military and strategic intent, designed to dispossess them of their heritage forever. Of the many accounts recorded for that fateful year, one which made a lasting impact, was that of Palestinian youths, towards the end of March, in earnest conversation in the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. With the noise of military activity, from the Bethlehem area, in the background, The Scotsman correspondent recorded their hesitation. Should they join the congregation in the Church or find a vantage point to observe the military action? At the toss of a coin it was decided. Forget their religious devotions for the rest of the day. Go and enjoy the action. Before long what appeared as a game to the youths, turned into a nightmare which resulted in the outright expulsion or flight 750 000 men, women and children, the young, the sick and the elderly. This book is dedicated to those same people. Hugh Humphries Contents p. i Glossary p. iii Introduction p. v Comment on sources and structure of the chronology p. 3 January .... if it was not for the open [Zionist military] preparations which had a provocative nature the drift into war could have been averted p. 30 February In view of the Zionist desire to reduce the number of Arabs in the proposed Jewish state it follows that orders to expel Arabs......were interpreted liberally by most Haganah officers p. 55 March Outwardly, he [David Ben Gurion] continued until very late in the day to pay requisite lip service to the grand humanist- socialist ideals . on the ground, however, he made sure that what he wanted got done, and he carefully avoided leaving tracks; his name rarely adorns an actual expulsion directive p. 87 April [At the village of Deir Yassin]There were twenty five people, twenty four were killed and only one could escape through a window. In another house they captured a boy who was holding the knee of his mother. They slaughtered her in front of him p. 138 May The destruction of the villages became a major political enterprise p. 192 June By their past encouragement of the terrorists, whom they secretly supported whilst publicly denouncing them, the Jewish leaders have created a Frankenstein which will eventually cause them far more trouble than it ever caused the British p. 220 July Children were dying, as were the sick and the elderly. The dead were covered with stones, branches and a quick prayer. Children, abandoned, were wandering about crying p. 258 August the right of Arab refugees to return to their homes at the earliest possible moment should be reaffirmed p. 283 September It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine p. 304 October This is something that determines the character of a nation. Jews too have committed Nazi acts p. 336 November They abandon the villages of their birth and that of their ancestors and go into exile . women, children, babies, donkeys - everything moves, in silence and grief, northwards, without looking to right or left p. 356 December We will not allow the Arabs back p. 368 Appendix Glossary Arab Liberation Army (ALA) - a force of about 5 000 men, mostly Syrian and Iraqi irregulars, organised in December 1947 to help the Palestinians Ben Gurion, David - Chairman of the Jewish Agency, Israel's first prime minister and first minister of defence Eshkol, Levi - the treasurer of the Haganah Haganah (Defence) - left wing Zionist paramilitary force and eventual Israeli regular army; 35 000 members in May 1947 Irgun (Irgun Zvai Leumi) - National Military Organisation; 3 000 to 5 000 members Jewish Agency - the pre-state government of the Yishuv Jewish National Fund - established in 1901 as the land acquisition and administrative arm of the World Zionist Organisation (Land bought through the JNF could be neither sold nor mortgaged, remaining in perpetual trust for Jewish people) Machnes, Gad - Director General, Minority Affairs Ministry Mapai - Israeli socialist Zionist party, forerunner of the Israeli Labour Party Mapam - a Soviet inclined breakaway group from Mapai of which the majority of the Haganah commanders were members (re-absorbed into Mapai in 1948) Meir (Myerson), Golda - Director of the Jewish Agency's Political Department in Jerusalem and eventual prime minister Palmach (Shock Troops) - commandos in the Haganah; 2 200 members Sharett (Shertok), Moshe - Director of the Political Department of the Jewish Agency, Israel's first foreign minister and an eventual prime minister Shalom Shitrit,Bechor - Minister of Minority Affairs and Police (1948 - ) Stern Gang or LHI (Lohamei Herut Yisrael) - Fighters for the Freedom of Israel; 200 to 300 members Yishuv (Settlement) - Jewish community in Palestine prior to the founding of the state of Israel; 650 000 at the beginning of 1948 Zionism - an ideology which advocates the in-gathering of Jews throughout the world, with their eventual destination being the land of Palestine Zisling, Aharon - Minister of Agriculture (1948 - 9) Introduction On November 29th 1947 the United Nations General Assembly, in its wisdom, adopted Resolution 181 which resulted in the eventual partition of the land of Palestine. From that point onwards both the British presence and control over events in Palestine dwindled until the British Mandate came to an end on 15 May 1948. During this period of time, and beyond, the Jewish Zionist colonisers, who from the time of the Balfour Declaration had firmly entrenched themselves on the land, fought a bitter battle against both the British and Palestinian Arab presence in Palestine. It resulted in the eventual permanent expulsion of approximately 750 000 Palestinians from their land, the destruction and demolition of over 400 Palestinian villages. This took place together with the plunder and acquisition of Arab houses, private property, bank accounts and business concerns. Actions which were given a legal gloss in the immediate aftermath of the foundation of the Israeli state. Throughout 1998 Israel celebrated her achievements together with the 50th anniversary of her "independence". At the same time the Palestinian nation commemorated the 50th anniversary of al-Nakba - the catastrophe. Hundreds of thousands remembered the day they were either driven from their homes or fled their homes to escape the fighting and the threat of death. Many, 50 years previously, thought they were leaving only for a few days, to return after the fighting receded. Few, if any, thought that it would turn out to be an interminable exile, with their homes either being demolished or occupied by strangers. This aspect of the struggle to establish and enlarge the State of Israel was ignored by Israel and her friends. They chose to ignore the catastrophe which the Zionist state invited, and continues to invite, on the heads of the Palestinian people. Actions, which by any definition of the word, can only be summed up as "genocide". At that point of time, with the ending of World War II, the Palestinians became the "victims of the victims." Many people, even in Israel, are ignorant of the foundations of the Israeli state. [ See "By Dint of Whitewash not Confusion: The Portrayal of the Arab-Israeli Conflict in Israeli History and Civics Textbooks, 1955-95" Eli Podeh Gitelson Peace Publn. 1997 (Hebrew)]. Many friends of Israel are likewise ignorant. Many simply do not understand why the Middle East has turned out to be the cauldron we saw yesterday, see to-day and, despite peace efforts, predict for tomorrow. For the Palestinian people who either live under a still brutal military occupation, as refugees in surrounding Arab states or as citizens in their adopted country, the events of 1998 must have rekindled any latent anger.