From: bdm@cs.anu.edu.au (Brendan McKay)
Subject: April 1948 in The Times  (Was: Bosnia, etc.)
Reply-To: bdm@cs.anu.edu.au
Organization: Australian National University
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 09:28:40 GMT

In article <4105@bimacs.BITNET> Gideon Ehrlich writes:

>On the other hand Arabs were asked by Jews to remain at their homes
>during that war . the TIMES reports that on 22.4.48 the Jewish hagana
>asked ( using loudspeakers - if I remember correctly) Arabs to remain
>at their homes but the most of the Arabian population followed their
>leaders who asked them to leave the country.
>( Look at the TIMES of the next day or some days after, I can't check
>it now, please inform the net and me about the exact date and the
>citation).

Here are a few excerpts from The Times (of London) around that date.
I don't have time to type in complete reports, but only the portions
that deal with the matter of Arab refugees.

April 22:
  
  The Hagana tonight broadcast a warning to Arabs that unless they sent 
  away "infiltrated dissidents" they would be advised to evacuate all 
  women and children, because they would be strongly attacked from now on.

April 23: 

  A surprise descent by the Jews in large numbers on Haifa has resulted 
  heavy Arab casualties, and hundreds of Arab women and children have
  been evacuated to the western part of the town and to Acre.  
  ...  
  Soon after midnight the Jews started a large-scale attack on the Arab
  lower town of Haifa from the Jewish suburb of Hadar Hacarmel, capturing
  many buildings and streets, and taking numerous Arab prisoners.
  ...
  This afternoon in the town hall Arab leaders met M-G Stockwell and the
  commander of the Hagana.  The Hagana offered the following terms: 
  1. that the Arabs surrender their arms and ammunition; 2. that Arab
  outsiders such as Iraquis and Syrians are to be handed over to the
  Hagana for detention; 3. that non-Arabs, such as Germans, are to be
  handed over to the Hagana for trial; 4. that the Hagana shall command
  the city.  
  The Arabs asked for time to deliberate and then, at a second meeting 
  this evening, said that they could not guarantee that all the Arabs
  would accept the conditions offered, and so they preferred to evacuate
  the Arabs from Haifa, except a few to maintain property and the
  religious places.
  The Hagana offered a five-day truce for the evacuation, and M-G Stockwell
  promised military help.  According to the Arabs, 15,000 have already
  left the town, and the evacuation is continuing throughout the night.
  The Hagana commander has issued a radio proclamation to Haifa Jews to
  respect Arab property and religious places and to steal nothing
  belonging to Arabs, or they will be severely punished.
  The Arabs, who were taken by surprise, have evacuated their women and
  children in hundreds to the pprt area and western part of the town,
  and to Haifa by sea.  They admit that they have lost 50 dead and 200
  wounded.
  
April 24:

  The Jewish Agency declares that this exodus has been carried out
  deliberately to besmirch the Jews, to influence the Arab Governments to
  send more help, and to clear the ground for an attack by regular Arab
  forces later.  The simplest, most human explanation is that the Arabs
  have fled out of pure disorder.

April 26:

  The Jews in Palestine are seeking to press home their military advantage,
  and have been mortaring Jaffa heavily.  The Arabs are fleeing from the
  town in great numbers.  
  ... the Jews continued to press home their military advantage, and the
  Arabs tried to regain a hold on the Jaffa-Jerusalem road.  ... After 
  the events in Haifa, the Jews seem to be arguing to themselves that the
  quickest way to bring peace to this country is by victory.  They have
  been mortaring Jaffa heavily most of to-day, wounding a large number of
  Arabs, and causing an exodus which had already begun during the last
  few days to be accelerated by sea and by road.
  ...
  ...
  Mr. Truman on Thursday ... said that he wondered what those who 
  questioned his authority to send troops to Palestine knew about the
  authority of the Commander-in-Chief to send troops anywhere...


Brendan.  

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