Britain and the War of 1948 (May-June)

Abstract

Most officials in the Eastern Department shared the view that although the Arab leaders were meeting ostensibly to prepare for intervention in Palestine, they would not ultimately enter into war. The inability to understand precisely what was going on at the Arab summits contributed to the doubts concerning the seriousness of the Arab leaders’ intentions to invade Palestine. Only on 8 May was the Foreign Office confident that an Arab offensive would take place. Military intelligence in Jerusalem reported growing pressure on Abdullah throughout April, but did not deduce that invasion was inevitable. However, on 12 May it was clear that the Legion was already involved in fighting. It attacked Jewish settlements on that day and was moving towards Jerusalem in preparation for a large-scale attack on the city’s Jewish sectors.¹