318
CAIRO TO DAMASCUS
the scene and the massacre and looting of Armenians in the
monastery would have begun with the first light of dawn.
The Haganah escorted the Armenian priests to the home of
Mordachi Weingarten, mukhtar, mayor, of the Jewish quarter
of the Old City. They returned within the hour: Weingarten
had refused! The priests had gained the impression, in fact,
that he intended to occupy all the key positions by morning.
The Patriarch immediately sent the priests back with orders
to return with Weingarten himself—or not retu