Originally posted as a response to a question posed on Part 2 in the series on Israel, the following is a short and concise commentary for those that erroneously assume the Palestine refugee was a product of Israeli aggression. For more clarity on the issue please refer back to the post titled: Four Israels Part II: Palestine, Palestinians, and Refugees.
Many people around the world assume that the Jewish people forced the Palestinians out of Israel. Nothing could be farther from the truth and I encourage anyone to cite credible sources that disprove the above statement or any statement made in the original post. You won’t find any, however. You won’t find one credible document, speech, or article where a Jewish leader demanded or even requested a Palestinian to leave. Why? Because it was the surrounding Arabs that were attacking Israel that demanded the Palestinians leave or suffer the possible ramifications of being in the middle of a war zone.
In fact, the idea flies in the face of common sense. Why would the leaders of Israel ask Palestinians to leave when in effect they would have provided a buffer between themselves and the Arab attackers? Also, many Palestinians did not leave. They are still there to this day. They have all the rights of any other Israeli. However, in contrast, A Jew has no voting rights in most Arab countries and in fact Israeli’s are not even allowed to enter Saudi Arabia “Saudi officials told CNN that the kingdom does not grant visas to holders of Israeli passports because it does not recognize Israel” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/24/delta-airlines-saudi-arabia_n_884305.html)
So again, if Palestinians were in fact forced to leave by the actual inhabitants and leaders of Israel then why would there still have been so many Palestinians there? It is because they were not asked to leave and they were not attacked. It was, in fact, the surrounding Arab’s that threatened their own people harm if they did not get out-of-the-way and flee Israel.
Apologetics With Me 
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Brian: I’m sorry, but this is taken so far out of context – the War of Independence happened over 60 years ago… the truth of what is happening there is very, very different today. Proving that no one in Israel asked the Palestinians to leave 60 years ago simply doesn’t mean that much today. What Israel is doing today says everything, and while no one is talking about it, they are treating the Palestinians like animals…
Apologeticswithme: Hi Brian. Actually I must whole heartedly and factually disagree. The Arabs are taught in school that the Jews forced them out of Israel and they are taught to hate the Jewish people. In contrast there is no such teaching of hate from the Jewish culture. This deep rooted hatred and lies are taught. Ever heard of the saying that the truth shall set you free. The facts matter. History matters. This is true for both present and past generations of both Arabs and Jews. Teaching Arab school children an incorrect history does nothing but escalate into daily rocket fire and suicide bombings all over the world that are aimed at the Jewish people. If the Jewish people are are treating the Palestinians like animals why are so many Palestinians still living happily in Israel? They wouldn’t leave if their lives depended on it. I’m not saying Israel is perfect today but I am saying the Arab account of history is dead wrong and the truth does matter for this and future generations. And by the way, the media rarely ever supports Israel. So I ‘m not sure where you are coming from when you say “no one is talking about it”. That’s all the media ever talks about is how Israel is bashing the Palestinian territories. In contrast, you RARELY hear about the constant rocket fire or suicide bombers from these same territories that are intended to kill Israelis and inhibit their way of life.
Brian: Okay, there haven’t been any suicide bombings in Israel for a few years… so the media has nothing to talk about. Rocket fire is far from daily, and it is from one tiny strip of land: the Gaza Strip. But yes, the media does not talk about it, and yes the media is a machine of lies, we can agree on that. I’m not sure where you’re getting the information about Arabs being taught those things… perhaps, the media? Even terrorists will say they hate Zionism NOT Judaism… it’s so important to realize that the two are NOT one and the same. Extremists on both sides are LYING left and right… it’s insane. And you are speaking to a Jewish person, FYI. and finally, what Palestinians are living happily in Israel? If you mean Palestine, then there are plenty of Palestinians there… however I’d say many of them are NOT happy to have a wall being built around their country and to be governed under martial law. There are Arab Israelis in Israel, yes, but who’s happy?! And, it is ISRAEL, not the “Jewish People” who are treating the Palestinians like animals… the SECULAR state of Israel is not synonymous with the Jewish People… the IDF is not synonymous with the Jewish People.
Apologeticswithme: Brian, my most recent post did not touch on any of what you are discussing. But some of my previous posts have touched on some of what you have brought up. I won’t reiterate those thoughts here again. I have done much research and read much history on these topics, but an expert I am not. Perhaps I never will be. I have felt called to not only learn about these topics, but to also share what I hope might be wisdom to others. I value your input and appreciate the dialogue as always for so many people seem not to care about this very important area of the world. I have a book I think you would benefit from reading. You can pick it up on Amazon or I would be happy to lend it to you. It’s called “Judgement Day! Islam, Israel and the Nations.” by Dave Hunt. I strongly urge you to read this book. There are many other good ones of course, but this is the absolute best I have come across in terms of history, relevance, and accuracy. I also look forward to hearing more of your insight in the future as you seem to have been to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip…personal experience goes a long way. So please keep adding your insight as I continue this series.
Brian: Happy to add my voice to this… 🙂 curious about your book – just remember that so much of what is happening over there isn’t black and white…
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