Summary
The term the 1948 Intelligence Service (Arab Section) report uses for the collapse of Arab confidence in Arab strength: it names the fourth, decisive phase of the migration (May 1948) as the emergence of a “migration psychosis” and a “crisis of confidence with respect to Arab strength”, treats general fear as the crisis’s primary manifestation and ranks its impact third, after “our actions” and the Dissidents’ actions, at 10% of all villages evacuated for that reason (The Emigration of the Arabs of Palestine in the Period 1/12/1947-1/6/1948, PDF p.3, 6).
Details
- The report gives two central reasons the Arab migrant did not become a fighter: “the assessment of Jewish strength and the crisis of confidence in Arab strength”, and a war that left no room for volunteers as the “Liberation Army” fell apart (PDF p.11).
- The related “evacuation psychosis” is described as spreading “like an infectious disease”, with Haifa refugees instilling it in Acre’s residents (PDF p.7).
Related pages
The Emigration of the Arabs of Palestine in the Period 1/12/1947-1/6/1948, Whispering operations, Nakba