Day 38 of 599 of מלחמת העצמאות MILḤEMET HAʾAẒMAʾUT (War of Independence)

Golda Meir told Ben-Gurion that she and Israel Amir, the commander in ירושלים YERUŜALAYIM had not known of the operation in advance. Mishael Shaham said he had consulted Amir and Amnon Klein-Zair on the evening of 4 January. The diary preserves conflicting accounts, not a resolved inquiry. Ben-Gurion also met the British High Commissioner that afternoon.¹

The bombing itself is studied at ההגנה HAʾHAGANA bombed the Semiramis Hotel in ירושלים YERUŜALAYIM.. Its dead must remain in the earlier incident count.

The archive's English translation says Arab residents began leaving after the explosion and that ההגנה HAʾHAGANA men were reinforcing this flight. That is evidence of armed pressure from ההגנה HAʾHAGANA contributing to displacement, beyond residents' fear of the explosion. It does not document an expulsion order for every household, the number who left on 6 January, or a later denial of return.²

The same entry records that Talbiya residents who were יהודים YEHUDIM wished to leave and were told to stay, while the Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood had already emptied. These are separately reported experiences, not evidence that the same actor, order or cause governed the departures from all three places. Household and municipal records are still needed.³

This is Day 38 of the 599-day civil-date series: 1948-01-06. Its public Ivrit route is 5708-10-24; after local sunset the adjacent Hebrew route is 5708-10-25.

Ben-Gurion's diary is dated 6 January 1948, the civil slot routed to daytime 24 Tevet 5708. His inquiry and meeting occurred that day. The hotel explosion was earlier; the diary's wording relates subsequent flight to it but does not date each household's departure. After local sunset the Hebrew date would be 25 Tevet. The JTA bulletin dated 7 January reported the official dispute after the fact.^{4 5}

• What does the diary establish about ההגנה HAʾHAGANA pressure on residents of Katamon?
• What further evidence would distinguish flight under attack from a formal expulsion order?