Wikipedia:Peer review/1948 Palestinian expulsion from Lydda and Ramle/archive1

This peer review discussion has been closed.

1948 Palestinian exodus from Lydda and Ramla

October 2009

This peer review discussion has been closed.
I've listed this article for peer review because I'm preparing it as a possible featured-article candidate, and given the nature of the topic, I'd appreciate input from uninvolved editors, as well as editors with specific expertise.

Many thanks, SlimVirgin ^{talk|contribs} 07:37, 26 September 2009 (UTC)

Brief comment: This is one of the most significant articles that has come for review recently. I have read it, and the various debates on the talkpage, with great interest. I am reasonably well-informed on Middle East history since the Balfour Declaration, and am familiar with most of your sources. I will add some detailed comments shortly – I'm temporarily distracted by chores. I am sorry this has had to wait so long for attention here, but at the moment PR reviewers are desperately scarce, even more so than at FAC. Brianboulton (talk) 16:12, 6 October 2009 (UTC)

Brian, thank you very much for looking at this. Please take as long as you need. It's quite an important issue with the Israel-Palestine debate, and so more than ever we need to get right (factually and in terms of balance) before taking it to FAC. It's hard to find uninvolved, but knowledgeable, editors—especially those willing to spend the time—but that's precisely what this needs. SlimVirgin ^{talk|contribs} 16:19, 6 October 2009 (UTC)

More detailed comments (not an exhaustive list):-

• Text: No major issues at all, the prose is clear and compelling. I have not done a line-by-line nitpick operation; that may be necessary later, but first things first. Just a few minor points:-
  • In almost all my sources "Ramla" is given as "Ramle" or "Ramleh". A footnote could draw attention to these alternative spellings. (People often mistake the place for Ramallah, so it's best to guard against all confusion)
  • In the lead, could the words "and the subsequent war" (or similar) be added to the end of the first sentence. Readers should be aware from the beginning that the occupation of the two towns was an act of war.
  • In the final section of the article I have problems reconciling "The population in Lod as of 2001 was 66,100, 19.7 percent of them Arab" with the later statement: "A fifth of the town's population are Bedouins who have set up illegal dwellings on agricultural land, as a result of which they receive no municipal services, such as trash collection or sewage disposal." Together, these statements imply that all the town's Arab population are Bedouins living illegally on land. Should the latter statement read "A fifth of the town's total Arab population..." etc?
• Sources
  • No real criticism here, the range of sources is impressive. People will always say "Why don't you use so-and-so" but with thousands of sources at your disposal you can't quote them all. I find I often prefer to read sources who are a little detached from the actual events, which is how I discovered this. Coughlin was the Daily Telegraph Middle East correspondent and later became Foreign Editor of the Sunday Telegraph. In his book he says: "There were, undoubtedly, occasions when Palestinians were forced to flee at gunpoint, one of the most infamous examples being the expulsion of some 50,00 Arabs from the twin towns of Lydda and Ramleh..." He notes that this expulsion had been preceded by earlier actions, such as the evacuation of the Katamon district in Jerusalem, pointing out that although many leading Arab families did "decamp for more serene destinations, ... the majority of Jerusalem's population who were made refugees during the war left their homes as a result either of intimdation or brute force."
  • The American writer Arthur Koestler visited Ramleh on 15 May and reported thus: "The Arabs were hanging about in the street much as usual, except for a few hundred youths of military age who have been put into a barbed wire cage and were taken off in lorries to an internment camp. Their veiled mothers and wives were carrying food and water to the cage, arguing with the Jewish sentries and pulling their sleeves, obviously quite unafraid. ... Groups of Arabs came marching down the main street with their arms above their heads, grinning broadly, without any guards, to give themselves up. The one prevailing feeling among all seemed to be that as far as Ramleh was concerned the war was over, and thank God for it." (Promise and Fulfilment Macmillan & Co 1949 pp. 270–71)
  • If you want it I can give Bernadotte's comments in full on the condition of the Lydda refugees after his visit to the Ramallah camp. He had earlier rather dismissed the towns' occupation as "certain minor military successes to the Jews." (To Jersusalem, Hodder & Stoughton 1951)
  • There is an interesting bit of information in Tom Segev's book on the 1967 war. He says: "In 1949 Israel offered to readmit 100,000 refugees as part of a peace settlement, but the plan failed and Israel rescinded the offer." Do any of your sources confirm this? I can't remember reading anything about it in any of the histories, and Segev doesn't footnote it.
• Balance: It will be very hard to convince all readers that the article is a fair and neutral account. That is the way with articles on such contentious and emotive subjects, which is why they rarely come to FAC. In my view the article comes close to fairness and neutrality, but some aspects require further explanation in the interests of balance. In particular:-
  • In the "Strategic importance" section I think it should be pointed out that Jerusalem's 100,000 Jews had been cut off from the yishuv between February and June 1948. Repeated efforts by the Israelis (Operation Naashon and the violent Latrun battles) to open the main Tel Aviv – Jerusalem road had failed, the seige being precariously lifted by the opening of the "Burma Road" just before the June truce. Mention of these facts might explain why Ben-Gurion had an obsession about Lydda and Ramleh, and wanted them neutralised.
  • Interesting though they are, I think that three verbatim quotes from George Habash is too many, given Habash's future role, and tend to unbalance the article. The danger is that readers will think: "Well, he would say that, wouldn't he."
  • Likewise, I think ending the article with a deliberately poignant quote is strong journalistically, but not encyclopedically (if such a word exists). It certainly doesn't contribute to a neutral tone, and should perhaps be reconsidered.

I'd be pleased to have your thoughts on these issues. I may well have more comments to make presently. Brianboulton (talk) 20:57, 7 October 2009 (UTC)

This is all very interesting and helpful. Some preliminary responses for now:

• It would be most helpful if you could tell us what Bernadotte said about the Lydda refugees in the camp.
• I know about the 100,000 offer mentioned by Segev, but I don't know whether there's anything specific about Lydda/Ramla. I will try to find out.
• Good point about footnoting alternative spellings in case of confusion with Ramallah. Added to an existing footnote.
• Will add the points you make about the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road to explain Ben Gurion's obsession.
• You're right about Habash. Will fix. Done.
• Arthur Koestler's observation is very interesting; will add it to the article. Done.
• You're right about the Bedouin percentage being confusing. Will try to reconcile the sources.
• Heh, I love that ending. :) It seems to sum up the tragedy of the current situation. I think I'd like to try to hang onto it unless the objections become overwhelming.
• I'll add to the lead that this was part of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Done.

This is great, exactly what's needed, thank you. SlimVirgin ^{talk|contribs} 18:03, 7 October 2009 (UTC)

• • Bernadotte, p. 200:-

Before we left Jerusalem, I visited Ramallah, where thousands of refugees from Lydda and Ramleh were assembled. I have made the acquaintance of a great many refugee camps; but never have I seen a more ghastly sight than that which met my eyes here at Ramallah. The car was literally stormed by excited massing shouting with Oriental fervour that they wanted food and wanted to return to their homes. There were plenty of frightening faces in that sea of suffering humanity. I remember not least a group of scabby and helpless old men with tangled beards who thrust their emaciated faces into the car and held out scraps of bread that would certainly have been considered quite uneatable by ordinary people, but was their only food. Perhaps there was no immediate danger of this camp becoming a breeding-ground of epidemic diseases that would spread all over Palestine. But what would happen at the beginning of October, when the rainy season began and the cold weather set in? It was a thought one preferred not to follow to its conclusion.

(Don't feel you have to use this quote just because I typed it all out!) Brianboulton (talk) 21:28, 7 October 2009 (UTC)

• Thanks for this, Brian. SlimVirgin ^{talk|contribs} 04:08, 8 October 2009 (UTC)
  • Typo in above quote: "massing" should be "masses". Sorry. Brianboulton (talk) 18:59, 8 October 2009 (UTC)

November 2010

I've returned to this article after a break, and would like to try to bring it to FA status. Reviews from uninvolved editors would be very helpful, and Brian if you're willing to have another glance through it, that would be very much appreciated. The last version I can vouch for, btw, is at User:SlimVirgin/Lydda3.

I've dealt with the points you raised before, Brian, except that the ending is the same, and I haven't included the 100,000 return offer, because it felt like going off track a little (though I'll look it up again to refresh my memory). But otherwise I think your points have all been added, removed, or clarified. SlimVirgin ^{talk|contribs} 07:48, 27 November 2010 (UTC)

Note: I've opened this as a new peer review at Wikipedia:Peer review/1948 Palestinian exodus from Lydda and Ramle/archive2. I had to do that to get the bot to list it on the PR page. SlimVirgin ^{talk|contribs} 09:10, 2 December 2010 (UTC)