Medinat Yisrael Is Born
251
reached the safety of the YMCA—a block from the Pantiles
Hotel. Asdvadz medz eh. Mother was right.
HIDE AND SEEK—WITH BULLETS
BACK in the Pantiles, I found Jim Fitzsimmons, Associated
Press photographer, swearing furiously.
"When you guys left Government House I stayed behind
to take pictures of the British flag being lowered. I was driving
back like mad, trying to get my films on the last mail plane
out of Jerusalem, when the Arabs stopped my jeep at Damascus
Gate. I told them I was in a helluva hurry, but they just put
their guns at my head and told me to get out. I was surrounded
by them, every last sonovabitch armed to the teeth. If any of
them had yelled Yahoodi, I would have been lynched. They
drove off in my jeep. I guess it was luck when Major Andronovichl from the Consulate picked me up in his car. Here I am
—without a jeep!"
The battle for key buildings was raging furiously. The instant the last British troops left—at ten a.m.—pale-blue-andwhite Jewish flags replaced Union Jacks on every building in
the Jewish zone. Jewish storm troopers dashed out from buildings where they had been hiding—and, in some instances,
sleeping—for the last twenty-four hours. With astonishing coordination and phenomenal speed they captured building
after building in the strategic no-man's land area, known as
the "Bevingrad" zone—ironically named for Bevin, because
British officialdom living here had barricaded itself during the
last weeks of the Mandate behind cement pillboxes and
barbed wire. The Arabs were now being driven back relentlessly, building by building, to the Old City walls. One marveled at the speed and ferocity with which the Jews unleashed
their attack.
1
Major Nicholas Andronovich, United States military liaison officer.