Again, I didn't make that claim, Morris stated so when he was confronted by his lack of evidence when writing his book.
He didn't make that claim when confronted by his lack of evidence. This is the quote you picked out:
Re-read from Morris: "no access to the materials in the IDFA [Israel Defense Forces Archive] or Haganah archive and precious little to firsthand military materials deposited elsewhere."
This quote of Morris is from a chapter he wrote in
The War for Palestine -- a book with Avi Shlaim's name on the cover. (Can you see where I'm going with this yet?)
You'll find your quote on
p37.
Morris is not admitting to making things up out of thin air. He merely points out that he didn't have access to certain archives when he wrote the first edition of his book. He specifically mentions an interview with Carmel on
p51, it's available for free. (I'm typing in what I see in a picture, rather than copy and pasting text. I'll keep it short though, because it is still copyrighted.)
Incidently, in case you need the dates, Morris' book "The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947-1949" was published in 1988 and revised in 2004.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Morris#Selected_book_summaries
Morris said:
In an interview I conducted in 1985 with General Moshe Carmel, OC Northern Front (Command) during Hiram, he explained that he had never adopted a policy of expulsion vis-a-vis Arab communities he had conquered in the battles of 1948, though he admitted that in a number of localities he had authorized expulsions for military reasons.
But Carmel had not told me the truth and Shimoni had been somewhat misinformed - so it emerges from the newley released documents in the IDFA. There was a central directive by Northern Front to clear the conquered pocket of it Arab inhabitants, though Carmel had shied clear of using the explicit word "to expel" (le'garesh). It is possible that the "advice" proffered by the Foreign Ministry (as mentioned by Shimoni) to the army command influenced the issuance of this directive.
On the morning of 31 October 1948, Carmel radioed all his brigade and district commanders: "Do all in you power to clear quickly and immediately from the areas conquered all hostile elements in accordance with the orders issued. The inhabitants should be assisted to leave the conquered areas."
On 10 November, Carmel added the following, somewhat "softer" order: "(B) [The troops] should continue to assist the inhabitants wishing to leave the areas conquered by us. This is urgent and must be carried out swiftly." (C) A strip five kilometers deep behind the border between us and Lebanon must be empty of [Arab] inhabitants."
I'll leave you to read the rest. (Some pages are unavailable). Including, the opinion of Major Yitzhak Moda'i -- quoted (it seems) from his once classified analysis for the IDF History branch. (Page 52 of the above link)
So.... When it comes to you asking things like this regarding orders signed by Carmel:
bigjelmapro said:
2nd bait question, do they? Have they ever been produced? Signed orders? Avi Shlaim doesn't even make this claim.
You do sound a little ignorant/naive/dishonest (delete as applicable). Avi Shlaim put his name on a book with Morris' claim printed inside. You show me where Shlaim claims Morris is wrong.
