Historical Dictionary of Israeli Intelligence

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PALMON, YEHOSHUA (JOSH) (1913–?).Born in Palestine to a

Russian Jewish family. Palmon was one of the first workers in the

Palestine Potash Company in Sdom (1935–1939). He spoke Arabic

fluently and formed the Arab Department of the Information Ser-

vice. In 1940, he assumed the position of its national coordinator

(1943–1948). During World War II, Palmon accomplished clandes-

tine missions in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria. Thereafter, he became a

highly proficient intelligence officer of the prestate underground Ha-

ganah militia.

Throughout the Arab-Jewish hostilities in Palestine, prior to the es-

tablishment of the State of Israel, Palmon was a close observer of fac-

tional Arab politics. He was aware of the bitter grudge that Fawzi al-

Qawuqji, who would later become the commander of the Arab

Liberation Army (ALA), held against Haj Amin al-Husseini, the

mufti of Jerusalem, who was the most prominent Arab figure in

Palestine during the mandatory period. In 1947, Palmon had wartime

German documents delivered to Qawuqji that he had unearthed con-

cerning this enmity. The papers bore out Qawuqji’s belief that his ar-

rest and imprisonment by the German authorities had been prompted

by the mufti. Qawuqji wanted to meet Palmon, but he abandoned the

notion on being appointed to command the ALA. Other Arab officers

who reached Palestine before their commander, however, made it

known to Palmon that Qawuqji was not intent on going to war with

the Jews and would be amenable to finding ways to prevent it.

The chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive agreed to a secret

meeting between Palmon and Qawuqji to persuade the latter not to

enter the fray between the Haganah and the mufti’s forces. Palmon

traveled to Qawuqji at his headquarters in Nur al-Shams village in

Syria on 1 April 1948. Palmon eventually made known his real pur-

pose in asking for the meeting, namely, to turn inter-Arab rivalries to

the advantage of his side. He suggested that a solution to the problem

of Palestine might be formulated were it not for the mufti and that,

instead of fighting, the Haganah and the ALA should negotiate fol-

lowing Britain’s impending withdrawal. While generally accepting

this, Qawuqji stated candidly that he must have one military success

to prove his credentials. Palmon could not promise to deliver, as an

attack against the Jews would surely result in a counterattack. In the

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