January 10, 1948 Arab Refugees
“On 10 January, Haganah intelligence tapped a revealing telephone conversation, between Dr. Hussein Khalidi, the AHC (e.g. Arab Higher Committee) and NC (e.g. National Committee) member, and an Arab merchant identified as ‘Abu Zaki’:
Khalidi Said:
‘Everyone is leaving me. Six [AHC members] are in Cairo, 2 are in Damascus – I won’t be able to hold on much longer … Jerusalem is lost. No one is left in Qatamon, Sheikh Jarrah has emptied, people are even leaving the Old City. Everyone who has a cheque or a little money – is off to Egypt, off to Lebanon, off to Damascus’”
Source: Morse, Benny, The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisted, pp.117; Entry for 12, January. 1948, IDFA 8275/49//126