Jerusalem Cloakroom #142

The Palestinian Refugees: Myth and Reality

by Yoram Ettinger
yoramtex@netvision.net.il

January 9, 2004

 The Basic Facts

•  There were 100 million refugees in the world since Second World War, and 80 million refugees during 1933-1945. Most are no longer refugees. only the Arabs have perpetuated the Palestinian refugees, as a means to destroy Israel.
   

• 820,000 Jewish refugees and 300,000 Palestinian refugees were produced by a war launched, against Israel, by the Palestinians and the Arab states.
   

• 300,000 Palestinian refugees: 800,000 resided in the country in November 1947 and 170,000 upon the conclusion of Israel’s War of Independence. 100,000 were allowed to return, 100,000 were absorbed in Arab countries, 50,000 Bedouins joined their tribes in Jordan and Sinai, 50,000 were migrant laborer who returned to their homes in Arab countries and 1.5% were killed during the war (1% of the Jewish population was killed).
   

• A Palestinian refugee, according to UNRWA, was any Arab who stayed in the country for two years prior to 1948.
   

• A Major Migration From Muslim Countries, especially to the coastal plain, took place during 1830-1947. Most Palestinian refugees resided in the coastal plain.

 Most Palestinian Refugees were Arab Migrants

• The origin of most Palestinian refugees was from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Algeria and Libya, migrating during 1830-1947. The Arab population of Jaffa, Haifa and Ramla grew 17, 12 and 5 times during 1880-1947.
   

• “30,000-36,000 Syrians migrated to Palestine in recent months” (Syrian daily, La Syrie, Aug. 12, 1934).
   

• Jaffa absorbed Arabs from 15 countries, who populated some “Egyptian Neighborhoods”: Abu Kabir, Salameh, Sumeil, Sheikh Muneis, Feja, etc. Egyptian occupation (1831-1840) produced thousands of Egyptian migrants in Jaffa, Petach Tikva, Hadera, Kalansawa, Acre, Beit She’an, Nablus, etc.
   

• Thousands of Arab migrant laborers were imported by the Ottoman Empire and Britain for infrastructure projects, and as a result of the expansion of Jewish businesses, while severe measures limited Jewish Aliya.

 Causes of Palestinian Refugees

•  Abu Mazen: “Arab armies forced Palestinians to leave their homes.” (Filastin A-Thawra, March 1976).
   

• London Economist (Oct. 2, 1948):”The most potent factor [in the flight of Palestinians] was the announcements made by the Arab-Palestinian Higher Executive, urging all Haifa Arabs to quit... It was clearly intimated that Arabs who remained in Haifa would be regarded as renegades.”
   

• The flight of the Arab elite (before the war), the inter-Palestinian gang war (as it was during 1936-39) and the Arab defeat on the battle field, expanded the number of refugees. Many returned to their countries of origin.
   

• “[Arab Leaders] are responsible for the flight... They disseminated rumors exaggerating Jewish atrocities...They instilled fear in the hearts of the Arabs, until they fled, leaving their homes...” (Jordan’s Al-Urdoun, April 9, 1953).
   

• In 1948, The British Mandate urged Jewish and Arab minorities to evacuate mixed towns. The Arabs evacuated (Tiberias, etc.) and the Jews stayed and prevailed (Safed, etc.).