I'm a middle eastern historian. My own family were made refugees. And this is my honest view of the Nakba (“catastrophe”) - the displacement of around 700,000 Palestinian Arabs during the 1947–49 war surrounding the creation of Israel.
A thread. 🧵
2/ Israel’s Declaration of Independence explicitly called on Arab inhabitants to remain and become equal citizens. The Arab response explicitly called for genocide zbd expulsion of Jews. So it's important to note one side is evidenced to have preferred peace from the outset.
3/ And importantly: around 150,000 Arabs DID remain inside Israel after the war.
Today their descendants make up around 20% of Israeli citizens.
That matters historically, because many 20th century ethnic conflicts ended in near-total expulsions.
Today their descendants make up around 20% of Israeli citizens.
That matters historically, because many 20th century ethnic conflicts ended in near-total expulsions.
4/ None of this means the refugee crisis was invented.
Large scale displacement happened.
Some Palestinians fled combat zones. Some fled out of fear after massacres like Deir Yassin.
Some were expelled directly by Israeli forces. Some expected to return after the war ended.
Large scale displacement happened.
Some Palestinians fled combat zones. Some fled out of fear after massacres like Deir Yassin.
Some were expelled directly by Israeli forces. Some expected to return after the war ended.
5/ One of the most important examples is Lydda and Ramle in July 1948.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians were expelled eastward during Operation Dani.
This is well documented, and it is not historically accurate to claim “nobody was expelled.”
Some were.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians were expelled eastward during Operation Dani.
This is well documented, and it is not historically accurate to claim “nobody was expelled.”
Some were.
6/ But it is equally inaccurate to portray 1948 as an ethnic cleansing campaign.
There were no “Nuremberg” style laws stripping Arabs of citizenship. No racial laws excluding Arabs from public life. No state doctrine of extermination.
There was a war.
There were no “Nuremberg” style laws stripping Arabs of citizenship. No racial laws excluding Arabs from public life. No state doctrine of extermination.
There was a war.
7/ Another important point:
Many Palestinian refugees did not flee thousands of miles away.
A large number moved very short distances to the West Bank, Gaza,southern Lebanon,nearby Arab towns.
Some ended up literally walking distance from their original homes.
Many Palestinian refugees did not flee thousands of miles away.
A large number moved very short distances to the West Bank, Gaza,southern Lebanon,nearby Arab towns.
Some ended up literally walking distance from their original homes.
8/ After the war, Israel largely prevented mass refugee return, demolished many abandoned villages and redistributed property under absentee laws. Had they not done so, Israel would have been destroyed from the inside.
9/ It is also rarely acknowledged that every area captured by Arab forces in 1948 became effectively Jew-free. Jews were expelled from East Jerusalem’s Old City and the West Bank under Jordanian control.
10/ Ancient synagogues were destroyed, Jews were barred from accessing the Western Wall for 19 years, and Jewish communities such as Gush Etzion were destroyed or evacuated after massacres and siege. Gaza’s tiny Jewish community also disappeared entirely.
11/ While smaller in scale than the Palestinian refugee crisis, the principle was starkly different from Israel itself: Arab-controlled territory became entirely closed to Jews whilst the Arabs in Israel were made equal citizens and thrived.
12/ Jews were also ethnically cleansed from almost every Arab-controlled part of the Middle East after 1948. Around 850,000 Jews lived across Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere before Israel’s creation; today, almost none remain.
13/ This often involved explicit anti-Jewish laws: citizenship revocation, asset seizures, employment bans, surveillance, imprisonment, pogroms, and expulsions targeted specifically at Jews. Ancient communities that had existed for over 2,000 years vanished within a generation.
14/ Framing morphed into “Palestinians = refugees, Israelis = colonial oppressors.”
In reality, the modern Middle East produced TWO huge refugee crises:
Palestinian Arabs displaced from Israel, and
Jews expelled or driven from Arab countries.
In reality, the modern Middle East produced TWO huge refugee crises:
Palestinian Arabs displaced from Israel, and
Jews expelled or driven from Arab countries.
15/ And here is a major historical difference:
Israel and other countries absorbed Jewish refugees and gave them citizenship.
Arab states did NOT absorb Palestinian refugees fully.
Palestinians and all their descendants were uniquely positioned by the UN as eternal refugees.
Israel and other countries absorbed Jewish refugees and gave them citizenship.
Arab states did NOT absorb Palestinian refugees fully.
Palestinians and all their descendants were uniquely positioned by the UN as eternal refugees.
16/ Compare this to other 20th century partitions.
India/Pakistan:
10–15 million displaced,
perhaps 1–2 million dead.
Greco-Turkish exchange:
1.5 million Greeks expelled,
500,000 Muslims displaced.
India/Pakistan:
10–15 million displaced,
perhaps 1–2 million dead.
Greco-Turkish exchange:
1.5 million Greeks expelled,
500,000 Muslims displaced.
17/ Post-WWII Eastern Europe:
12+ million Germans expelled.
The 20th century was full of brutal ethnic partitions and forced migrations. It's been a very, very common thing as part of war or partition.
12+ million Germans expelled.
The 20th century was full of brutal ethnic partitions and forced migrations. It's been a very, very common thing as part of war or partition.
18/ So why did the Palestinian issue endure while others largely settled?
Reason 1: The conflict never ended.
There was no equivalent of a final peace treaty psychologically accepted by both sides. Palestinians STILL expect to destroy Israel.
Reason 1: The conflict never ended.
There was no equivalent of a final peace treaty psychologically accepted by both sides. Palestinians STILL expect to destroy Israel.
19/ Reason 2: The refugees stayed geographically close and the area contains Jerusalem and disputed holy sites.
That creates a very different emotional dynamic from populations scattered across continents.
That creates a very different emotional dynamic from populations scattered across continents.
20/ Reason 3:UNRWA created a unique hereditary refugee system.
Palestinian refugee status passed to descendants indefinitely.
No other refugee population in history has been handled the same way.
Palestinian refugee status passed to descendants indefinitely.
No other refugee population in history has been handled the same way.
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