The Fall of Gaza and Jerusalem in 1917: Claims About Ottoman Commanders

He fled from the front. He downright ran away. He even fled from Virüssebi to Ramallah.

Now the eighth army, which had no left flank remaining, was forced to abandon Gaza a week later, and Gaza fell into British hands.

The principal figure responsible for this defeat is İsmet İnönü.

In other words, by fleeing the battlefield he ensured the British army's victory, and Gaza fell into British hands.

It would have been better if he had stayed here. This is what happened: the British army was still far from Jerusalem.

Falkenayn is the commander of the Yıldırım Army Group. Fevzi Çakmak is in command of the seventh army.

The Third Army Corps is under the command of the Gaza deserter İsmet İnönü. The 20th Army Corps is under the command of Ali Fuat Cebesoy.

While the British were still far from Jerusalem, and just two weeks after the Battle of Gaza, on 8–9 December 1917 Ali Fuat Cebesoy — who this time was entrenched inside Jerusalem — fled the battlefield.

The British left Jerusalem without firing a single shot. In other words, there was only about a two- or, well, three-week gap between the loss of Gaza and the loss of Jerusalem.

Actually, there was almost no fighting on any front.

Yes, that's how it was in 1917.

So we're retreating directly.

So that's what happened in the Third Battle of Gaza. In both cases we defeated the British and left them in pretty bad shape.

The Third Gaza — the one İsmet İnönü lost and, you know, fled from. After the Third Gaza I understood that we stopped resisting.

So Ali Fuat Cebesoy turns to Fevzi Çakmağ and says, "I want to abandon Jerusalem."

While they were arguing about whether it would happen or not, of course word reached Falken as well.

He says Fevzi Çakmağ told his man, "Do not abandon Jerusalem."

Why? Because he says a semi-German division of 5000 men will reach Jerusalem in two to three days.

They will be heavily armed afterward.

Also, he says Enver Pasha did something: he dispatched a division of Ottoman soldiers.

They also call the German contingent "Asya kulu." He says they will be there, in Jerusalem.

He says the division sent by Enver will also arrive. He warns, do not abandon it.

He even says, "Let's give him the rank of Miralay, make him a Pasha."

Fevzi Çakmağ tells Falken that if we don't withdraw now, our heavy weapons will fall into the hands of the British.

He says we'll end up in an even worse situation.

He says it's best for him to leave Jerusalem. He even says, "I'm now setting out for Ramallah," says Fevzi Çakmağ.

Completely — he acted on his own, obeying no orders.

Of course, without following orders, they then handed Jerusalem over to the British without firing a single shot.

I mean, would anyone abandon a city just to save their weapons?

Yes.

And Jerusalem — the holy city of Muslims and of all faiths, which has been the object of all the Crusades for 1,500 years since Caliph Umar.

This is not an ordinary town or an outpost. Jerusalem is Islam's first qibla.

A holy city.

It carries the authority of Istanbul, yes.

They vacated Jerusalem to the British without any fighting, without firing a single shot.

So all those who returned without firing a shot at the British later occupied top positions in the subsequent regime.

So, then who are the actors in the 1917 defeat in Palestine?

Here: Fevzi Çakmağ, Ali Fatih Besoy, İsmet İnönü, Mustafa Kemal — am I making myself clear?

Like that.

The next day something really funny happened.

Then the Ottoman army fled Jerusalem.

But the British weren't around.

They left the mayor a signed paper.

Ali Fuat did that.

By the way, Ali Fuat is Jewish.

He is the grandson of Müşir Ahmet Paşa.

Ahmet Nizet?

He is also related to Nazım Hikmet.

So they were, more or less, second cousins.

By "Jewish" do you mean Sabbateans, sir?

No, just regular Jews.

Müşir Mehmet Ali Paşa came from Germany.

That is, he came and entered Ottoman service.

I don't know if he was a Sabbatean, but when he was in Germany he was Jewish.

So if he wasn't from Salonika, he wasn't a Sabbatean.

A European Jew.

Yes, a European Jew.

Now Ali Fuat Yahudi — that is, the grandson of Marshal Mehmet Ali Pasha.

It's very clear and out in the open.

They didn't want to fight; they gave up.

But the British aren't around either.

According to the document they left, they would hand over Hüseyin Efendi — the mayor — to the British; the mayor would surrender Jerusalem to them.

He went out, and the British started searching.

Are the British not around?

No — they're not in the area.

Is that the reason?

Like, are they Spanish or something?

No.

No — it's a place far from the front.

That was in 1918.

Now, the British were still far from Jerusalem.

At that time he was wandering; eight to ten kilometers later, Hüseyin Bey encountered two British sergeants.

They were two cooks looking for provisions for their battalion.

He told the cooks, "As the mayor, I can hand Jerusalem over to you."

They said, "Our job is to cook."

We can't take that on; we can't get involved in something like that.

We can't assume responsibility for that.

The mayor is patient and stubborn.

He keeps wandering.

He goes another one-eight-ten kilometres.

He finds two majors; this time an English major.

I give you Jerusalem.

They say no.

So we don't have a duty to take Jerusalem after that.

But we can take you to General Watson.

They take the mayor.

The mayor explains that there are no Ottoman soldiers left in the city.

Besides, they've all left.

The city is ready.

It will fall into your palm like a ripe fruit.

Come and take the city.

Then Watson calls Allenby.

They talk with Allenby.

Allenby says you can go and take it.

You can take possession of Jerusalem.

General Watson is beside the mayor.

He takes ten soldiers.

He also takes an English flag.

They go to Jerusalem with ten soldiers.

Then they hoist the English flag.

Allenby will arrive the next day.

His army had taken Jerusalem.

There are photos of that surrender.

There are.

I mean, he is very famous.

There are photos of the gardens.

Allenby's entry into the city was on foot.

To avoid inciting the populace and to prevent any resistance.

After that, he apparently goes to Saladin's tomb in Damascus.

As if to say, "We have come."

Now that French general.

A French general?

Yes.

Get up, Saladin, we're here.

He's kicking.

He's kicking the attacker.

We're back.

We're back.

He says he took revenge on the Crusaders.

That was after the occupation of Damascus.

The occupation of Damascus was one year later.

One year later.

1918.

In 1917, because of the betrayal of the seventh army, we lost both Gaza and Jerusalem.