The Conquest of Nazareth: The Arab City that Survived the War
Keywords:
Nazareth, Operation ‘Dekel’, (מלחמת 1948) – War of Independence (1948 War), Arabs in Israel, Jewish–Arab Relations in Israel, Yusuf Muhammad Ali al-Fahum, David Ben-Gurion, Haim Laskov, Christian Arabs in IsraelAbstract
The article deals with the conquest of Nazareth (Operation ‘Dekel’) by Israeli forces in the 1948 War. It examines the internal events in what was the only one of four major Arab cities in the Galilee to survive the war nearly intact. Nazareth’s fate was indeed unique, unlike that of Tiberias, Safed, and Acre, due to a combination of factors.
First, it had a determined and responsible leadership headed by the mayor, Yusuf Muhammad Ali al-Fahum, who took personal responsibility in ordering the city’s inhabitants to remain in their homes and not leave under any circumstances. He dispelled all rumors, regardless of their ominous content. Second, Prime Minister and Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion cancelled the expulsion order that had been issued by General Haim Laskov. And third, Nazareth was, and still is, a holy city for millions of Christians throughout the world and the home of numerous churches, monasteries, and holy places.
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