Life in the Besieged City
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4
for service with the Allies. About 26,000 actually served as
commandos, parachutists, intelligence agents, and in numerous other capacities. Especially trained Haganah units
performed dangerous missions for the Allies behind the enemy lines. Hundreds received priceless training at British
hands,5 A typical instance was that of Moshe Dayan, who in
1939 was jailed for engaging in secret scouting work. He was
released in order to fight for the Allies, and lost an eye on a
mission to Syria. Later, as Colonel Dayan, he served as commander of the Israeli army in Jerusalem.
The Portzim paused in front of the Pantiles for another
truck to catch up. Like fighting gamecocks they now crowed
in the song of victory—Song of the Barricades;
On the barricades we will meet at the last
And lift freedom on high from the chains of the past;
Rifle on rifle our guns will salute
Bullet on bullet our guns will shoot. . . .
What I saw on the night of the breaching of Zion Gate
convinced me that I had witnessed an entirely new and regenerated species of Jew. Israeli is perhaps the better word.
Here in the ancient homeland, the fighting, colonizing, and
civilizing instincts were blossoming in full. No longer bound
to the chains that linked them to the humiliation of the yellow badge and to the torments they endured in the Middle
Ages, the Jews of Jerusalem emerged into the greatness inherent in every man—every Arab, every fellah, everyone conceived in His image—whenever man is fully liberated from
the shackles of tyranny. Men were made greater than themselves, as during the period of our own War of Independence.
4
Contrast this performance with that of about 9,000 Arabs (outside the
Arab Legion) who at first enlisted with the British, but most of whom later
deserted at the behest of the Mufti.
5
The identical opportunity was open to all Arabs. The Mufti, however,
was engaged in extensive Nazi propaganda and sabotage, and warned Arab
youth against any aid to the Allied cause. See Chapter XXII.