Jerusalem

by Simon Sebag Montefiore

  18. Husseini vs. Nashashibi. Portraits written with reference to Mahdi Abdul Hadi (ed.), Palestinian Personalities: A Biographical Dictionary. Mufti, character, career: Pappe 169–73; selection of mayor and mufti 201, 212–45. Gilbert Achcar, The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab–Israeli War Narratives (henceforth Achcar) on Mufti policies and character 123–30; on megalomania 127, on variety of Arab opinions, liberals, Marxist nationalists, Islamicists 41–123; quote 52. On political parties, on blond mufti, jokes without laughter: author interview with Nasser Eddin Nashashibi. Nashashibi 14–19; election of mufti 38 and 126–8; mufti leader 79; differences between mufti and Nashashibi 75; Nashashibi brought down by Sir Arthur Wauchope 32. Wasserstein 324–7. Krämer 200–7 and 217–22. On Notables and rivalries: Benny Morris, 1948: A History of the First Arab–Israeli War 13–14. Mufti, poacher, British intimidated: Weizmann 342. Totalitarianism enlightened: Keith-Roach quoted in Segev, Palestine 4–9. Mufti, cause just, method unwise and immoral: John Glubb Pasha A Soldier with Arabs 41. Sole qualifications, pretension of family: Edward Keith-Roach, Pasha of Jerusalem 94. Sari Nusseibeh, Once Upon a Country: disastrous 36. Projection of holinesss and importance of Haram for nation: Krämer 237 and redemption of the land 251–3; family political parties 239–40. Tamari, “Jerusalem’s Ottoman Modernity,” JQ 9, Summer 2000. Tamari, “Vagabond Café and Jerusalem’s Prince of Idleness,” JQ 19, October 2003. On Haile Selassie and kings: John Tleel, “I Am Jerusalem: Life in the Old City from the Mandate Period to the Present,” JQ 4, Spring 1999. Amos Oz, A Tale of Love and Darkness (henceforth Oz) 23, 38–42, 62, 118–19, 307, 324, 325, 329. Partition plans: Wasserstein 108–12. Shlaim, Israel and Palestine 25–36. “Harem Beauties Drive Fords through Jerusalem,” Boston Sunday Herald 9 July 1922. British dislike Jews: John Chancellor quoted in Rose, Senseless Squalid War 31; easy to see why Arabs preferred to Jews, Richard Crossman 32. High British life and George Antonius’ swinging party: Segev, Palestine 342–5; Ben-Gurion, evolving views and proposals to Musa Alami and George Antonius 275–7. Stalin/Birobidzhan: Simon Sebag Montefiore, Stalin: Court of the Red Tsar and Young Stalin; Arkady Vaksberg, Stalin Against the Jews 5.

  19. Buraq Uprising and after: Wasif 2.484. Pappe 233–45. Achcar 128–133. Nusseibeh, Jerusalemites 39–43. Ilan Pappe, “Haj Amin and the Buraq Revolt,” JQ 18, June 2003. Shindler, Military Zionism 94–104. Keith-Roach, Pasha 119–22. Nusseibeh 31. Rogan 198–201. Krämer 225–37. Segev, Palestine 296–333. Gilbert, JTC 119–28. A. J. Sherman, Mandate Days: British Lives in Palestine 73–93. Mufti visits Nazi consul: Jeffrey Herf, Nazi Propaganda for the Arab World 16–17 and 29. Koestler quotes: Michael Scammell, Koestler: The Indispensable Intellectual 55–65. Ben-Gurion, evolution, socialism, pragmatism: Shindler, History 21–35.

  White Paper, Black Letter, Passfield: Weizmann 409–16; deposed as president 417–22. Fall of Weizmann, rise of Ben-Gurion, Jabotinsky as Il Duce: Bar-Zohar, Ben-Gurion 59–67.

  20. British Mandate life. Architecture: Kroyanker 143–65. Boston Sunday Herald 9 July 1922. British anti-Semitism: John Chancellor quoted in Rose, Senseless Squalid War 31; Richard Crossman 32. High British life, Antonius’ party: Segev, Palestine 342–50; author interview with Nasser Eddin Nashashibi. Kai Bird, Crossing Mandelbaum Gate (henceforth Bird), includ-ing “she was naughty” quote, open marriage 16–19 and 22–42. Colonel P. H. Massy, Eastern Mediterranean Lands: Twenty Years of Life, Sport and Travel 69–70. Hunting etc.: Keith-Roach, Pasha 89; modern city, beauty parlour 95; Plumer and Chancellor good-looking actor 99/100. Brawl between Latins and Greeks with umbrella: Harry Luke, Cities and Men: An Autobiography 207; staff 213; life 241–5; toastmaster 218. King David Hotel: Gilbert, JTC 101–19 and 130. Private aeroplane: John Bierman and Colin Smith, Fire in the Night: Win-gate of Burma, Ethiopia and Zion 79. Plumer and Chancellor: Segev, Palestine 289. Café life: Tamari, “Vagabond Café and Jerusalem’s Prince of Idleness,” JQ 19 October 2003. Neighbourhoods: Oz, Tale 23, 38–42. The May family: Miriam Gross, “Jerusalem Childhood,” Standpoint September 2010. Burial of Grand Duchess Ella: Warwick, Ella 302–12; Luke, Cities and Men 214.

  The Families and the British: Storrs 423–5. Nusseibeh, Country 28–36, 62. Krämer 257–66. Congreve: Segev, Palestine 9; Wauchope and new Government House, duck-shooting 342–8. Nusseibeh, Jerusalemites: exhilarating city 52; Katy Antonius 133; houses, bookshops, families, white suits 409–25; no choice but armed rebellion 44–7. Immigration figures: Segev, Palestine 37. Churchill and Moyne visit King David Hotel: Gilbert, Churchill and the Jews 102; Woodhead Commission and increase in population of Arabs and Jews 152; partnership and characters of Ben-Gurion and Weizmann 76–9; negotiations with Musa Alami 82–7; on love life 118–19. On Ben-Gurion books and reading: author conversation with Shimon Peres. On Ben-Gurion Napoleon joke: conversation with Itzik Yaacovy. Weizmann character and attitude to Ben-Gurion: Weidenfeld, Remembering My Good Friends 201–20. Achcar, variety of Arab opinons, nationalists, liberals, Marxists, Islamicists 41–123. Mufti and Zionist proposal for shared states and two-tier legislatives: Pappe 226–8.

  21. Arab Rebellion: Krämer 259–65. Rogan 204–7. Morris, 1948 18–20. Achcar 133–40; on breadth of Arab opinions 41–133. Tarboush and gangs: Nashashibi 97–103 and 46–57. Wasif 2.539–49. Ruthless methods: Segev, Palestine 350–2, 361–74, 382–8, 402, 414–43. Nusseibeh, Jerusalemites 42–9: first shots. Revolt, Wingate, like Lawrence: Weizmann 489–91 and 588. Destruction of compromise and Judah Magnes: Oren, Power 436–8. Walid Khalidi, From Haven to Conquest, 20–2, 33–5 Abd al-Kadir Husseini, portrait written with reference to Hadi, Palestinian Personalities. Pappe quoted 278; on mufti violence 246–82; Abd al-Kadir 225; 260–2; 269; 292–6.

  22. Wingate and Dayan, Arab Rebellion: Wasif 2.539–49. Ruthless methods: Segev, Palestine 400–2, 414–43. Bierman and Smith, Fire in the Night 29–30, 55–130. Moshe Dayan, Story of My Life (henceforth Dayan) 41–7; Montgomery executions: Rose, Senseless Squalid War 45. Walid Khalidi, From Haven to Conquest, 20–2, 33–5. Dayan: Ariel Sharon, Warrior 76, 127, 222.

  Revolt, restraint: Segev, Palestine 420–43; Wingate, negotiations 489–91 and 588. Wasserstein 115–16. Ben-Gurion emergence as strongman of Zionism: Shindler, History 21–35; restraint 35–6; Sadeh and Wingate 36–8. St. James’s Palace conference/White Paper/war: Bar-Zohar, Ben-Gurion 93–105. Moderates undermined: Oren, Power 436–8. Jerusalem lost to Arabs 17 October 1938: Pappe 287; Abd al-Kadir Husseini 292–6.

  23. Mufti in Berlin, Second World War: Herf, Nazi Propaganda for the Arab World, with Hitler 73–9, 185–9; with Himmler 199–203. Views on Holocaust and Jews: Morris, 1948 21–2. Achcar: mufti’s extremist views; mufti’s views unrepresentative of Arab views 140–52. Pappe 305–17. Decadence Asmahan: Mansel, Levant 306–7; Philip Mansel, Asmahan, Siren of the Nile (unpublished ms). Wartime: Nusseibeh, Jerusalemites 49–51. Rogan 246–50. Dayan 48–74. Krämer 307–10. Pappe 305–17. Second World War Jewish fears; Wasif 2.558–60; Abd el-Kadir Husseini 2.601–2. Musa Budeiri, “A Chronicle of a Defeat Foretold: The Battle for Jerusalem in the Memoirs of Anwar Nusseibeh,” JQ 3, Winter/Spring 2001. Begin parochial not poetical: Rose, Senseless Squalid War 63–5. Koestler quotes on Begin/Ben-Gurion: Scammell, Koestler 331. Begin’s military Zionist clash with Jabotinsky: Shindler, Military Zionism 205–12, 219–23, Begin’s character and ideology including quote on hunter from ex-Israeli ambassador to Britian and paraphrased quote on maximalist ideology, emotional Judaism: Shindler, History 147–150. Pappe 323–7. Menachem Begin, The Revolt (henceforth Begin) 25; shofar at Wall 88, 91; Descartes 46–7; attacks in Jerusalem 49, 62; operations and United Command 191–7; King David 212–20. Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5 352–66, including King David bomb 353. Population 93,000: Wasserstein 121; MacMichael plan 116; Fitzgerald/Gort plan 120–3; Truman/Anglo-American Commission 122; population 100,000 128. Katy Antonius parties: author interview with N. Nashashibi. Stalin and FDR at Yalta: S. M. Plokhy, Yalta: The Price of Peace 343. Vaksber
g, Stalin Against the Jews 139. FDR, Stalin and Truman on Zionism: Morris, 1948 24–5. Churchill and Stalin to Jerusalem: Gilbert, Winston S. Churchill 7.1046–7, 1050, 1064—thanks to Sir Martin Gilbert for bringing this to my attention. Truman and founding of Israel: quotes from David McCullough, Truman 415 and 595–620. Truman, character: Oren, Power 475–7. Lord Moyne, East Prussia offer: Bar-Zohar, Ben-Gurion 106. Katy Antonius, divorce, death of George, relationship with Barker: Segev, Palestine 480, 499; also Katy Antonius obituary, The Times 8 December 1984; author interview with N. Nashashibi; Bird 16–19 and 37–43.

  24. 1947/Farran: Rogan 251–62. Krämer 310–12. Pappe 328–41. Gilbert, JTC 186–271. Gilbert, Churchill and the Jews, speech “senseless squalid war” 261–7. The Farran story is based on David Cesarani, Major Farran’s Hat : Murder, Scandal and Britain’s War Against Jewish Terrorism 1945–8: Montgomery’s crackdown and rising terrorism 10–58; Farran character 63–81; policing style and kidnapping 90–8; trial 173–4. The Times 6 June 2006 obituary. Ben-Gurion price of statehood: Wasserstein 125. Montgomery at Katy Antonius: author interview with N. Nashashibi. Truman “Biblical scholar”: Clark Clifford quoted in Rose, Senseless Squalid War 73. U.S.-Soviet attitude to Palestine: Morris, 1948 24–5. McCullough, Truman 415, 595–620. Truman, put an underdog on top: Gilbert, Churchill and the Jews 266. Anti-Jewish comments by British officials: Efraim Karsh, Palestine Betrayed quoting Cunningham 75. Katy Antonius and Barker: Segev, Palestine 480, 499; also Katy Antonius obituary, The Times 8 December 1984; author interview with N. Nashashibi: Bird 16–18 and 37–43. Churchill on anti-Semitism among British officials: Gilbert Churchill and the Jews 190; Irgun vilest gangsters 270. British security forces: Andrew, Defence of the Realm 352–66; Keith Jefferey, MI6 689–97.

  25. 1947–May 1948, Deir Yassin and Abd al-Kadir Husseini: Rogan 251–62. Wasserstein 133–424; Nigel Clive quote on clapping children, 150. Abd al-Kadir Husseini, character: Hadi, Palestinian Personalities.

  Ben-Gurion: Oz, Tale 424. Dayan 48–74. Yitzhak Rabin, The Rabin Memoirs (henceforth Rabin): childhood 1–10; battle for Jerusalem 16–27. Krämer 310–12. Gilbert, JTC 186–271. Nusseibeh, Country 38–56, including appeal to Abdullah; heroic Abd al-Kadir Husseini 52–4; fighting after UN vote 43; father shot 56. Fighting at Montefiore between Jews, Arab and British: during the Montefiore battle, 10 February 1948: Avraham-Michael Kirshenbaum was killed by British sniper at Montefiore Battle. Nusseibeh, Jerusalemites 64–5. End of Mandate: Wasif 2.603–5. Abd el-Kadir Husseini: Wasif 2.601–2. Budeiri, “Chronicle of a Defeat Foretold,” JQ 3, Winter/Spring 2001. Abdullah: Shlaim, Lion of Jordan 20–49. On Gaza Palestine government: Shlaim, Israel and Palestine 37–53. Oz, Tale 318–21; Ben-Gurion diary quoted at 333; UN vote 343. On mufti’s role: Achcar 153–6.

  This account of the war is based on Morris, 1948, including Plan D 121; also on Shindler, History; Pappe 336–41; Rogan; Nakhba personal account by Wasif. Wasif 2.603–5. War, Abd al-Kadir Husseini and breakdown: Nusseibeh, Jerusalemites 59–77. Declaration of independence and choice of state names: Shindler, History 38–42; Ben-Gurion’s views 43–4 and 99–100; war and troop numbers 46. Arab Liberation Army, 5,000 troops maximum: Morris, 1948 90; Jerusalem under Abd al-Kadir Husseini 91; civil war 93–132, including Plan D 122; Husseini poem and Kastel, mutilation of bodies at Kastel 121–5; Deir Yassin 126–8; 13 April attack on Hadassah ambulances 128–9; battle for Jerusalem 129–32. Bertha Spafford Vester and intervention in Arab ambush of Hadassah convoy: Bird 11. Abd al-Kadir Husseini, Deir Yassin and revenge and postcards of corpses, Plan D: Rogan 255–61. War 262–9 and the Catastrophe, Nakhba, origin of word Achcar 268–9. Katy Antonius mansion and letters found: Segev 480, 499. Bird 16 and 37–43. Battle of Jerusalem: Bar-Zohar, Ben-Gurion 164–70. Abd al-Kadir Husseini and brother Khaled: Pappe 334–5.

  26. Unless stated otherwise, this account of the war is based on Morris, 1948; Rogan 262–9, Pappe 323–41; and Shindler, History 45–9. Regular war 1948–9, Abdullah: Abdullah bin Hussein, King of Jordan, Memoirs 142–203. Shlaim, Lion of Jordan 20–49. Storrs 135. Luke, Cities and Men 243 and 248. Abdullah: Lawrence 67–9, 219–21. On Abdullah character: Hussein bin Talal, King Hussein of Jordan, Uneasy Lies the Head 1–18. Rabin 16–27. John Glubb, A Soldier with the Arabs, on Abdullah 50–5, 271–5; the battle 105–31; on Jerusalem 43–4, 213. Abdullah, “I want to be the rider”: Karsh, Palestine Betrayed 96. Burial of Hussein I in Burgoyne, Mamluk Jerusalem 358. The account of Abdullah and negotiations is based on Avi Shlaim, The Collusion Across the Jordon, and Benny Morris, The Road to Jerusalem: Glubb Pasha, Palestine and the Jews. Krämer 315–19. Destruction in Jewish Quarter: Elon, Jerusalem 81.

  Assassination: author interview with witness N. Nashashibi. Hussein, Uneasy Lies the Head 1–9. Glubb, Soldier with the Arabs 275–9; Shlaim, Lion of Jordan 398–417. Pappe on assassination, and Musa al-Husseini 313 and 343–5. Nusseibeh, Country 62–75. Nashashibi 20–1, 215–20. Budeiri, “Chronicle of a Defeat Foretold,” JQ 3, Winter/Spring 2001. Split Jerusalem: Nusseibeh, Country 59–64; Jordanian city 64–94. Oz, Tale 369–70. Fall of Jerusalem: Begin 160. King of Jerusalem: Wasserstein 165; nobody takes Jerusalem 169; Nabi Musa 188; lions and zoo 182. Nusseibeh, Jerusalemites 59–77. Weizmann, Swiss president, Weidenfeld Jerusalem campaign: Weidenfeld, Remembering My Good Friends 201–20. Author interviews with Lord Weidenfeld. Let Jews have Jerusalem: Churchill quoted by John Shuckburgh in Gilbert, Churchill and the Jews 292. Weizmann on dislike of Jerusalem as president: Weizmann 169. Battle of Jerusalem: Bar-Zohar, Ben-Gurion 164–70. Truman, “I am Cyrus”: Oren, Power 501.

  27. King Hussein 1951–67. Succession and early reign: Shlaim, Lion of Jordan 49; PLO 218–27; war 235–51. Nigel Ashton, King Hussein of Jordan: A Political Life (henceforth Ashton) 13–26; war 113–20. Hussein, Uneasy Lies the Head 110. Mufti’s last visit March 1967; Pappe 346; Arafat, Mufti’s heir 337. Renovations of Dome etc.: Cresswell in OJ 415–21. Author interview with Princess Firyal of Jordan. Goldhill, City of Longing 38. Nusseibeh, Country 62–8; father’s career 72–5; rise of Arafat, Fatah 62–94. Budeiri, “Chronicle of a Defeat Foretold,” JQ 3, Winter/Spring 2001. Oz, Tale 70. Mandelbaum Gate—not gate not Mandelbaum, snipers, divided city/population: Wasserstein 40, 180–2, 191–2, 200. Life in divided Jerusalem, Mandelbaum Gate, return of Katy Antonius, small town, Bertha Spafford Vester: Bird 10–11; Katy Antonius, dragon and flirt, café 16–20; quotation by Kai Bird on “jarring series of ad hoc fences” 19; Mandelbaums 20–4; Russian émigré vs. Soviet Churches and CIA payments 32, including Kai Bird quotation on Cold War in Jerusalem (as ardently as Berlin alleyways); Orient House hotel 33.

  Nasser discusses Jerusalem: author interview with N. Nashashibi. Orthodox Jews: Yakov Lupo and Nitzan Chen, “The Ultra-Orthodox,” in O. Ahimeir and Y. Bar-Simon-Tov (eds.), Forty Years in Jerusalem 65–95. Also: Yakov Loupo and Nitzan Chen, “The Jerusalem Area Ultra-Orthodox Population,” ms. Elon, Jerusalem 189–94. Ben-Gurion and Eichmann: interview with Yitzhak Yaacovy. Haram quiet, few Muslim visitors in 1950s: Oleg Grabar, Sacred Explanade 388. Hussein, PLO, United Kingdom plan: Nusseibeh, Jerusalemites 133–53.

  28. Six Day War: this is based on Michael B. Oren, Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East; Tom Segev, 1967: Israel, the War and the Year That Transformed the Middle East; Shlaim, Lion of Jordan; Jeremy Bowen, Six Days: How the 1967 War Shaped the Middle East; and Rogan 333–43, including Nasser–Amer conversation; and Nasser hope to claim victory without war, post-war Palestinian nationalism/Arafat 343–53. Nasser not Abdullah: Nashashibi 228. Shlaim, Lion of Jordan 235–51. Ashton 113–20. Dayan 287–381. Gilbert, JTC 272–97. Dayan personality: Shindler, History 101. On Dayan: author conversation with Shimon Peres. Michael Bar-Zohar, Shimon Peres: A Biography 87–90. Bar-Zohar, Ben-Gurion on Dayan’s sex life 118–19. Dayan character: Ariel Sharon, Warrior 76, 127, 222.

  29. Wall liberated: Dayan 13–17. On Dayan: author conversation with Shimon Peres. Ashton 118–20, Shlaim, Lion of Jordon 248–5
1 and 258. Hussein weeps for city: Noor, Queen of Jordan, Leap of Faith, 75–7.

  Epilogue

  1. 1967–present: population Wasserstein 212, 328–38; peace plans 345; white flight of secular Jews, falling proportion of Jews from 74 per cent in 1967 to 68 percent in 2000. Forty peace plans for Jerusalem: Shlaim, Israel and Palestine 229, also 25–36; on Jerusalem 253–60. Population in 2000 including 140,000 Orthodox Jews: Loupo and Chen, “Ultra-Orthodox,” Ahimeir and Bar-Simon-Tov, Forty Years in Jerusalem 65–95. Population 2008: figures based on Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies. After 1967 and Resolution 339 Rogan 242. “Jerusalem’s Settlements,” The Economist 3 July 2010, “Jerusalem Mayor Handing City to Settlers” Haaretz 22 February 2010 and “Jerusalem Master Plan,” Haaretz 28 June 2010. Jerusalem Syndrome: Yair Bar-El et al., British Journal of Psychiatry 176 (2000) 86–90.