First Cracks

Abstract

The first truce ended on 9 July. Within three days Lydda and Ramle had been taken by the IDF. The fall to the Israelis of these two purely Arab towns in the heart of Palestine was a grave setback for Abdallah’s plans, not so much because of their actual loss, but because of the political repercussions. The fall of Lydda and Ramle not only marked a dramatic turning point in the making of the Palestinian refugee problem, it led to serious accusations that the Arab Legion had deliberately abandoned the towns prompted by what were sheer political considerations of the government of Transjordan. This was a belief shared by many Palestinian Arabs and caused the first major rift between them and Abdallah. The credibility of the King was seriously challenged, whereby both his image and his standing among them were at stake.