Talk:1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight/Archive 5

Palestinian exodus in outer space!
Did the foundation of Israel and the Palestinian exodus occur in outer space? If it occurred here on earth and both groups are human beings why is it treated as some unique event in the history of the universe? Is there a body of international law? Do those laws deal with conflict? Do they examine the problems of refugees from conflicts? Yes, yes, and yes. Could somebody please insert a section on the rules of international law as they apply to the Palestinian refugees. That might turn this part of wikipedia from a typical piece of web self-indulgent bullshit into a useful reference site. Pmurnion 00:36, 28 August 2006 (UTC)
 * International Law is a bit like National Law before there were policemen, it's not enforced unless someone with money and guns enforces it.
 * The only part of International Law I think that absolutely applies is that the occupying force may not carry out or permit population transfers.
 * There are other parts, but they rather depend on a court adjudging what is, for instance, "Communal Punishment" and what is military necessity.
 * There are at least two decisions made by competent bodies that I can think of that, if they're not complied with, amount to breaches of International Law. One is the mandatory return of people to their homes, and the other is the decision that the Wall is illegal and must be torn down.
 * Does that help?
 * PalestineRemembered 21:41, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

current edit war in the article
Dear Gentlemen, it this so difficult to try to write an article about this subject. Instead of trying to prove the other side is wrong or instead or finding -by himself- a given view is proven by the other, this problem should be solved in quoting only historians who studied the subject.

And concerning a quote of somebody living at that time it is not difficult : if an historian clearly uses this and consider this relevant of whatever, it can be introduced. If not, it should not be.

All this is a pity. Alithien 11:13, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

"Causes of the Palestinian exodus" should be a seperate article ... ?
The "Causes of the Palestinian exodus" section makes this article very long, but it contains vital information to understanding the past, present, and future of the Palestinian people. I propose we make it a seperate article. Does anyone agree? --GHcool 18:52, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I've seen this happen before in other articles. When important sections are removed editors just start to add the information again and then we have two articles covering much of the same material. --Ian Pitchford 20:22, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

it could be a good idea
the problem of the article as of now is that it's basically a copy paste from Morris. Someone clearly tried to make use of propaganda here and presenting a one sided view of the events instead of making an encyclopedic entry. The events are told as facts which is ridicilous. It is no surprise then that the section of the causes of exodus is being attacked fervently by those WP:POV pushers. Amoruso 20:32, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Are you actually Zeq, Amoruso? --Ian Pitchford 20:33, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
 * No... are you actually Zero0000, Ian Pitchford ? Amoruso 20:44, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

I confess, I Ramallite am actually Oscar the Grouch.

This article describes an event that is the national tragedy of an entire nation. It is hard to see how any article about a national tragedy cannot be "one sided" because, after all, these are real people with real history and property who lost their land and livelihoods. How many sides of "people who lost their lives and property unwillingly were not allowed to return to their homes (the key point, regardless of how they left)" can there be? I know it may be hard for some to accept that one group of people can do that to another, but it does happen. Let's not let Wikipedia turn into an instrument of history denial. Trying to claim that some obscure "Arab" asked Palestinians to leave, as if Palestinians are so gullible that they will leave their homes and belongings in droves and head to another hostile territory (which pretends to be friendly but is not), is not an alternative POV, it is offensive. Asking readers to believe that Palestinians "left at their own free will" with bombs and artillery around them is also offensive and dehumanizing. So am I making this another political debate? No, I'm just one ordinary human being who gets offended when I see the major national tragedy of my people trivialized by cheap propaganda. Please stop it. If one must introduce hate propaganda by favorite propaganda figures, at least have the decency to show the sensitivity this subject deserves in an encyclopedia. Ramallite (talk) 21:31, 29 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Don't grouch then... :) Well, the thing is it's exactly the other way round. It's hard to accept I know that for someone who's been taught and brainwashed that this is a national tragedy, that it really isn't. Millions of people were transferred from one place to another in the 1940's, 1950's and until the present day. More than two times Jews lost all they had and came to Israel. 12 Million Germans were expelled from Poland and during which millions were killed. But this 400,000 Arabs who simply went to their Arab states by their own will and by offical statements from both their leaderships (the mufti though in exile) and the Arab states' request, assuring them they will be back perhaps in days after Israel is obliterated, is deemed as a "tragedy", that's a real joke. The vast amount evidence concerning what happened is flabbergasting, and saying that the refugees were created for any other reason other than this, is really mind-blowing. Of course there are always isolated incidents and factors , but in general the truth is obvious. There are inifinte reports of how Haifa residents moved casually to Acre, the British even examining their belongings... there was no panic or flee from shells, there was almost indifference on this... it might not be nice to hear but it's the historical verifiable truth here. From Acre they moved further north... it didn't even seem like migrating since most of them simply moved to another place of the Arab controlled area, it was all the same to them back then, and if it wasn't for British and Arab States involvement, pressure and incitement, they could have lived happily with their Jewish neighbours inside Israel. But this is not a discussion board - if your feelings are hurt, deal with, but don't delete WP:RS sources which depict history. Amoruso 21:54, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
 * You've been told by a Palestinian that the claim you're making is offensive and dehumanising (and it's not difficult to understand why). Can I suggest that you stop making it? Especially when it's patently not true in many cases, it's absurdly unlikely in most cases, and it's almost completely irrelevant. The atrocity that is the Nakba didn't start when Palestinians fled their homes (whatever the reason). The atrocity that is the Nakba started when immigrants appeared with guns and the determination to kill them if they returned to their homes.
 * It's also insulting to use the figure (400,000) given by those who carried out this ethnic cleansing, benefited from it and defend it with guns. The figures are more likely to be well over 700,000 from 1948, between 100,000 and 250,000 in 1967, and more every day before and since.
 * PalestineRemembered 14:15, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Does that mean that if we agree that nobody from Haifa can claim to be a refugee, everybody else will be allowed to be, by your standards?

Anyway, it's obviously no use arguing on these talk pages. But I take exception to being called "brainwashed", you have no idea who I am. The other examples you mention are national tragedies as well, but we are not in the business of comparing national tragedies. Every nation has its own history of tragedies and successes, we can't tell one nation that theirs doesn't count because it doesn't measure up to others. As for Haifa, I have my own family history in Haifa, and I can tell you that we lost property there despite the fact that my great grandfather stayed and refused to be pushed out. But that's another story, just let's try to have a constructive relationship and keep our ideologies private. So don't call me brainwashed, especially as you seem to be the "Katz-o-maniac" (joking), and do me another favor, try really hard not to blurt out silliness likes "But this 400,000 Arabs who simply went to their Arab states by their own will", because no person with even half a brain would go to an Arab State "by their own free will", and never refer to it is "our" Arab states. They are as much "my" Arab states as they are yours. I know it's very convenient to lump all Arabs together, but don't insult us Palestinians like that. Ramallite (talk) 14:33, 30 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Don't take offense, but your claim of ancesterhood will be taken as complete unverified WP:OR and I doubt why you even mention it here. Also please don't take everything so personally since we're discussing wikipedia here, not a discussion board. Heated debates exist in many internet forums in many languages. But here we deal with WP:RS and everything cited in support of exactly these claims of "went to their Arab states by their own will" fit that category. I disagree completely to your claims that Palestinians saw themselves as distant from other Arab states, and yes I do believe according to all the WP:RS provided that the Arab states are indeed "lumped together". You might see that as insulting, but that's the truth I'm standing behind. To me it is actually insulting to claim otherwise, and this insulting business is pure unbased WP:POV as it is, it's not meant as Personal Attacks, simply as historical facts. As for national tragedies... you're right, point taken, it's irrelevant what other tragedies are. But when you define tragedy, you have to look at it in perspective. And if you examine the history books and the global contexts, you'll see that almost every other people managed to overcome this terrible tragedy of population exodous quite well. There is no UNRWA for Jewish refugees, German refugees, Greek/Bulgarian refugees, Paksitani refugees, Indian refugees, Sudanese refugees and so on, because these incidents weren't wrapped up with a political agenda of annhilating another country. Your Palestine state, if suddently there was an abrupt wish for it, could have been created in Transjordan or in any other Arab state - it IS the same, historically, genetically, culturally. You are a member of a people who want to maintain their conquer of the land of Israel as with other lands (Spain, Sicily, Cyprus...), instead of staying in Arabia. The political divison within the Arab people shouldn't harm other national rights of other peoples. With all due respect, it is insulting for me that you claim your own something that isn't - even by the current peace agreements and by every international standard, the claim of right of return is morally horrible since it hints that not even the 1948 borders of Israel are recognised by you as soverign. That's policide of a state which exists for 58 years with a population of 6 million. Again, about 400,000, one of the smallest insignificant transfers/exodus prompted this right of return... why is the discussion on it even so  elaborate ? It should have been ignored by objecive WP:NPOV standards, I'm sorry. Amoruso 15:13, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
 * This word "policide" appears to be a little piece of propaganda invented by the Zionists as code for "Israel must be free to do whatever it likes".
 * There are people who want genocide of Israelis. There are other people who want ethnic cleansing of Israelis, others who only want regime change applied to a nation they claim operates apartheid. And others who believe that the only solution tolerable in law and morality, or acceptable to the refugees themselves, is that the people be allowed to return to their homes.
 * Rolling all these very different meanings into one word makes any form of nuanced understanding impossible, it's simply a means to muddy the water.
 * PalestineRemembered 14:15, 29 October 2006 (UTC)
 * On a friendly note, if all Palestinians were like you, good hearted and spirited, there would be peace already. But that's the jist of it I guess. Amoruso 15:16, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Let the people back to their homes, then they may agree to play nicely with you.
 * Of course, if you're the same gunmen who drove them from their homes in the first place, they may be less keen to trust you. But living in peace with your neighbours is not optional, I have to do it, and ultimately you have to do the same. Gun-play is not an acceptable alternative.
 * PalestineRemembered 21:46, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

Response on your talk page. Ramallite (talk) 15:32, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Claims by Arabs who fled
A leading Palestinian nationalist of the time, Musa Alami, revealed the attitude of the fleeing Arabs:

"The Arabs of Palestine left their homes, were scattered, and lost everything. But there remained one solid hope: The Arab armies were on the eve of their entry into Palestine to save the country and return things to their normal course, punish the aggressor, and throw oppressive Zionism with its dreams and dangers into the sea. On May 14, 1948, crowds of Arabs stood by the roads leading to the frontiers of Palestine, enthusiastically welcoming the advancing armies. Days and weeks passed, sufficient to accomplish the sacred mission, but the Arab armies did not save the country. They did nothing but let slip from their hands Acre, Sarafand, Lydda, Ramleh, Nazareth, most of the south and the rest of the north. Then hope fled (Middle East Journal, October 1949)."

Habib Issa in the New York Lebanese paper, Al Hoda (June 8, 1951) said: "The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Azzam Pasha, assured the Arab peoples that the occupation of Palestine and Tel Aviv would be as simple as a military promenade. He pointed out that they were already on the frontiers and that all the millions the Jews had spent on land and economic development would be easy booty, for it would be a simple matter to throw Jews into the Mediterranean....Brotherly advice was given to the Arabs of Palestine to leave their land, homes and property and to stay temporarily in neighboring fraternal states, lest the guns of the invading Arab armies mow them down."

One refugee quoted in the Jordan newspaper, Ad Difaa (September 6, 1954), said:

"The Arab government told us: Get out so that we can get in. So we got out, but they did not get in."


 * It is objective wording. All it says is this person said this. It's not a big deal. If you feel you should, unscramble the words. The explanation to King Abdallah's comment is just explaining and very briefly expanding on the lack of Arab nations "coming to their rescue," like the King said. All is all neutral and worded correctly. --Shamir1 00:41, 4 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Just answer the question: Have you consulted these sources in accordance with WP:V? --Ian Pitchford 21:14, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Incidentally Ian Pitchford, please refrain from deleting differnet non connected materials under the same pretext. Amoruso 21:36, 4 October 2006 (UTC)
 * I think the editor in question can explain his own behaviour. Your speculation doesn't clarify anything. --Ian Pitchford 16:59, 5 October 2006 (UTC)
 * It's a fact you deleted different materials under this pretext which is not even related to any new material, for example image of a book . Amoruso 08:56, 7 October 2006 (UTC)
 * I think I've made it clear (with suitable references quoted here an elsewhere) that Katz is not a reliable source and the article certainly doesn't need an image of a non-notable volume by a non-notable non-historian. --Ian Pitchford 15:59, 12 October 2006 (UTC)
 * It seems you have misconceptions about what you made clear. Amoruso 17:42, 12 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Seems to me that Ian has an excellent point, someone has been shovelling the content of web-pages into articles. And I can't see it matters if some Palestinians were ordered to leave by their own leaders. (Particularily when we know that many of those who wished to stay were were beaten from their homes). The claim itself is a piece of propaganda, made by the people who seized the land thus emptied. The encyclopedia would be loath to take seriously excuses made to justify victimisation of other peoples - why are the Palestinians different? PalestineRemembered 20:23, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

bogus reference for bogus text
i removed this from Palestinian exodus:
 * At the time of his writing this, however, the anti-Semitic hysteria of the British Establishment had great impact in Ireland, as well as sympathy for Zionism by the British, who were hostile with the Irish at the time.

it cited http://irelandsown.net/connolly19.html, but this article's footnotes aren't appearing for some reason.

the page is talking about "the anti-Semitic hysteria of the British Establishment" around the time of the first world war&mdash;more than two decades before the exodus, and nearly four decades before the time that childers wrote (early 1960s). the particular erskine childers who is quoted here was not, in fact, alive at the time&mdash;the two who are mentioned are his father and grandfather. "sympathy for zionism by the British", and zionism period, are not even discussed in the cited source. furthermore, the text about relations between great britain and ireland might be relevant in discussions of writings from the 1910s and 1920s, but childers wrote on the palestinian exodus in the 1960s. i'd say "find a better source for this text", but i sincerely doubt one exists. 67.68.213.214 04:45, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Why are the reasons for the flight of the Palestinians important?
Can someone explain to me why the original reason for the flight of the Palestinians is of any significance? If I left my home for whatever reason, nobody could possibly justify keeping me out of it for any length of time atall.

The claim that "Arab leaders told them to leave" sounds exactly like a statement made by a guilty party to avoid addressing the issue/s (and try to wriggle out of culpability for it).

Some may think this question doesn't belong ...... but if the reasons are of little importance, then the article could be made much shorter (I estimate half the size) and perhaps more manageable and informative.

PalestineRemembered 14:47, 29 October 2006 (UTC)


 * If you left your house for the reason that someone will come to your neighbour house, butcher him and so you left so you won't be injured accidentally, then the reason you left is very important. Arab legions came to commit genocide on the Jewish people and local Arab population agreed to go out to make it easier. Similar to what Nasrallah asked Haifa citizens in the present conflict - this time they learnt the trick and didn't move. They also said so explicitly - it rings bells. Amoruso 05:35, 12 November 2006 (UTC)
 * I'm glad you've abandoned the outrageous claim that these people left of their own accord, and admitted that they left in fear (95% fear of the Zionists according to one historian, later reduced to at least 90%).
 * Needless to say this alternative argument is equally worthless (and of course, pure WP:OR!).
 * PalestineRemembered 18:07, 14 November 2006 (UTC)


 * I don't know what you read but they left in a calculated manner in order to help the genocide of the Jews. Of course there's no moral right to them to return. Amoruso 22:03, 18 November 2006 (UTC)
 * You seem to have stated that they left in fear of injury (though from "their own side", not from the immigrants). So you've abandoned the claim that they "all" left on orders (which was unsustainable anyway, I don't recall there ever being an RS for it). It definitely wasn't true in many places that we know of.
 * I know of nothing to justify this new explanation, nor why you say it would somehow negate a "moral right" to the return of their property.
 * Nor have you explained why the article spends so much time explaining they left of their own accord, and none atall as to why that matters, what effect it has on their legal right to the enjoyment of their property.
 * PalestineRemembered 09:22, 19 November 2006 (UTC)


 * No I'm still saying they left in order to help the Arab countries commit genocide at the Jewish population at the request of those armies. They have no such legal or moral right to any property. Amoruso 10:51, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

And so their children are also responsible, as well as the children of their children. Your intent to justify ethnic cleansing with such a stupid argument, that they fled to help the Arab armies who wanted to commit genocide (so you say), instead of fleeing at the fear of being killed themselves is pathetic. The sad thing is you are justifying the same thing the Nazis did to Jews during the Kristallnacht, and no amount of morale contorsions can negate it.--Despanan 01:15, 30 December 2006 (UTC)