Palestinian Refugees

Misstatement: Palestinians were systematically expelled from their land by Israel in 1948

Response: There was no official, deliberate or systemic Israeli policy of expelling Palestinians. As many as 700,000 Palestinians abandoned their homes in the newly created State of Israel when five Arab armies invaded the newly declared state on May 15, 1948. During the chaotic and volatile war, many of the Palestinians who left did so voluntarily to avoid the ongoing war or at the urging of Arab leaders who promised that all who left would return after a quick Arab victory over the new Jewish state. Recent historical studies have revealed that some Palestinians were forced to flee by individuals or groups fighting for Israel. Palestinians who stayed were made full citizens of the new State of Israel.