Sir Alan’s Report
The High Commissioner, Sir Alan Cunningham, cabled a report on the Haifa battle to Arthur Creech-Jones, Colonial Secretary in London on April 23, 1948. The text was released by the Public Information Office in Jerusalem April 24.
The Jewish attack on Haifa was a direct consequence of continuous attacks by Arabs on Jews in Haifa over the previous four days. The attack was carried out by the Haganah, and there was no massacre.
Arabs in Haifa were thus responsible for the outbreak in spite of our repeated warnings. Far from refusing to intervene, the Military Commander at Haifa did everything possible to stop the fighting by negotiation, and himself presided at tow meetings yesterday in an endeavor to arrange a truce.
The terms demanded by the Jews are surrender of arms and evacuation of Arab foreigners from Haifa. These are not the terms demanded by the Military Commander, who is prepared to impound Arab arms and not hand them over to the Jews if a truce can be got on this basis. It will be remembered that at Kfar Etzion arms surrendered by Jews were seized by Arabs.
Arabs appealed to the Military Commander to assist in evacuating Amin Hospital. The Commanding Officer of the Coldstream Guards was wounded in this operationm and two other officers were wounded while supervising evacuation by sea.
As always, the Army is completely impartial and any suggestion that they are taking sides is not only untrue but deeply resented.
Casualties reported at present are 14 Jews killed, 40 wounded, approximately 100 Arabs killed and 100 wounded. It is not yet known what casualties there are among women and children who were involved in the battle, but there was no question of a massacre.
Source: Palestine Post, April 25, 1948
