Some of the Arab refugees who fled Palestine during the war reported fearing not only the Jewish forces, but also being branded collaborators by the mufti if they stayed.
Richard Meinertzhagen, who served as an intelligence officer in wartime and post-World War I Mandatory Palestine, made this point clearly in his memoir Middle East Diary.
They all disappeared March 25 -- last Tuesday -- from the Palestine Hotel, which is housing many of the visiting journalists covering the war from Baghdad.