Page 165 - big friday
P. 165
hority on the other. And yes, the Jews had to leave Katamon; they had never dwelled
there, and they had no right to it.
These conditions should have brought peace to Jerusalem. The Jews had spoiled things,
he maintained; they had been insincere: their representative, whom he had asked to see,
never arrived; they said that they were in Tel Aviv and very busy, and the road to Jerusalem
was not safe. The police and the army could have secured their journey to Jerusalem, had
they wanted this. Eventually they said that Golda Meyerson would shortly be on her way –
but she never came. This was the only time throughout his entire period of service that he
had summoned a Jewish representative and was not acceded to. And thus he left Jerusalem
without receiving the Jews' response.
W hat could have been saved, had a ceasefire been achieved in the city? This was difficult
to know. However, there was no doubt that had quiet prevailed in Jerusalem, it would have
benefitted the Jews and Arabs alike. For them, those who were leaving, it was a question of
honor and of conscience. There was infinite sadness in the thought that they would depart
and leave the city as prey to the fighting forces that would stream in from all sides to seize
control of its different parts.
T hese were his thoughts about Jerusalem, although he did not give them full expression in
that broadcast. He concluded by saying,
"We who are leaving have experienced great sadness in the past years; a sadness that
much could have been accomplished and had to be left undone. Friendship and goodwill
were marred by events. But in our memories will live many happy associations with
Palestine and in our hearts will remain the constant desire that cooperation, goodwill and
amity may be re-established between us, to our mutual benefit in the future. Goodbye!"
T he plane landed in Haifa, and awaiting him at the airport were the Jewish mayor and his
Muslim deputy, along with two other representatives – a Jew and a Christian – who had
been invited by the British regional governor of Haifa. In fact, this was his only farewell
meeting with Jewish and Arab representatives. His car soon brought him to the outskirts
of the city, and he found himself in Kingsway – Haifa's main street. Once again he drove
in a convoy, as when he had left Jerusalem. He and his entourage were in a line of armored
cars. Soldiers holding Bren guns were stationed on the roofs of houses. Armed soldiers
were on every street corner. A few people watched the departing convoy in silence. At
the entrance to the port there was a row of Sherman tanks, their guns at the ready. The
weapons were superfluous here, just as they had been in Jerusalem; quiet had prevailed in
Jerusalem with their departure, and quiet prevailed here; the residents seemed not to have
noticed their departure at all.
How different the departure of the last Commissioner looked from the arrival of the
first, Herbert Samuel – and even more so from General Allenby's arrival in Jerusalem;
thousands had cheered him, Jews and Arabs alike. Allenby had entered Jerusalem on foot,
to show his submission before the eternal city – but there was pride in his entry, coming
to reestablish the Christian rule that had been severed when Saladin had vanquished
the Crusader armies in the battle of the Horns of Hattin. What great hopes had been
Before the Declaration 163
there, and they had no right to it.
These conditions should have brought peace to Jerusalem. The Jews had spoiled things,
he maintained; they had been insincere: their representative, whom he had asked to see,
never arrived; they said that they were in Tel Aviv and very busy, and the road to Jerusalem
was not safe. The police and the army could have secured their journey to Jerusalem, had
they wanted this. Eventually they said that Golda Meyerson would shortly be on her way –
but she never came. This was the only time throughout his entire period of service that he
had summoned a Jewish representative and was not acceded to. And thus he left Jerusalem
without receiving the Jews' response.
W hat could have been saved, had a ceasefire been achieved in the city? This was difficult
to know. However, there was no doubt that had quiet prevailed in Jerusalem, it would have
benefitted the Jews and Arabs alike. For them, those who were leaving, it was a question of
honor and of conscience. There was infinite sadness in the thought that they would depart
and leave the city as prey to the fighting forces that would stream in from all sides to seize
control of its different parts.
T hese were his thoughts about Jerusalem, although he did not give them full expression in
that broadcast. He concluded by saying,
"We who are leaving have experienced great sadness in the past years; a sadness that
much could have been accomplished and had to be left undone. Friendship and goodwill
were marred by events. But in our memories will live many happy associations with
Palestine and in our hearts will remain the constant desire that cooperation, goodwill and
amity may be re-established between us, to our mutual benefit in the future. Goodbye!"
T he plane landed in Haifa, and awaiting him at the airport were the Jewish mayor and his
Muslim deputy, along with two other representatives – a Jew and a Christian – who had
been invited by the British regional governor of Haifa. In fact, this was his only farewell
meeting with Jewish and Arab representatives. His car soon brought him to the outskirts
of the city, and he found himself in Kingsway – Haifa's main street. Once again he drove
in a convoy, as when he had left Jerusalem. He and his entourage were in a line of armored
cars. Soldiers holding Bren guns were stationed on the roofs of houses. Armed soldiers
were on every street corner. A few people watched the departing convoy in silence. At
the entrance to the port there was a row of Sherman tanks, their guns at the ready. The
weapons were superfluous here, just as they had been in Jerusalem; quiet had prevailed in
Jerusalem with their departure, and quiet prevailed here; the residents seemed not to have
noticed their departure at all.
How different the departure of the last Commissioner looked from the arrival of the
first, Herbert Samuel – and even more so from General Allenby's arrival in Jerusalem;
thousands had cheered him, Jews and Arabs alike. Allenby had entered Jerusalem on foot,
to show his submission before the eternal city – but there was pride in his entry, coming
to reestablish the Christian rule that had been severed when Saladin had vanquished
the Crusader armies in the battle of the Horns of Hattin. What great hopes had been
Before the Declaration 163
