Drawing on a declassified briefing from November 1948 by Israel Galili, Ben Gurion's number two in the defence ministry, Morris writes of the actions of Dunkelman's troops:
"At Saliha it appears that troops blew up a house, possibly the village mosque, killing 60-94 persons who had been crowded into it. In Safsaf, troops shot and then dumped into a well 50-70 villagers and POWs [prisoners of war]. In Jish, the troops apparently murdered about 10 Moroccan POWs (who had served with the Syrian Army) and a number of civilians, including, apparently, four Maronite Christians, and a woman and her baby."
Morris concluded: "These atrocities, mostly committed against Muslims, no doubt precipitated the flight of communities on the path of the IDF advance... What happened at Safsaf and Jish no doubt reached the villagers of Ras al Ahmar, 'Alma, Deishum and al Malikiya hours before the Seventh Brigade's columns. These villages, apart from 'Alma, seem to have been completely or largely empty when the IDF arrived."
Dunkelman can no doubt take credit for Nazareth's survival. But a full and proper historical accounting is still needed of the war crimes committed not only by Dunkelman but by those he answered to.
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