Palestine Refugee Problem - Fact of Fiction

Arab Refugee Problem - Fact or Fiction - Norman A. Rubin

The problem of the Palestine refugees have been a constant theme focused in the media - gallons of ink scrawled on reams of paper told of their plight; television broadcasts pictured the refugees in the squalid refugee-camps and voiced their loss, both in their homeland and property. Continuously the finger of guilt was pointed towards the political and military leaders of Israel. Let us now separate 'fact from fiction'.

The Research Group for European Migration Problems reported in its Bulletin for January March 1957... "As early as the first months of 1948 the Arab League issued orders exhorting the Arab residents of Palestine to seek temporary
refuge in neighboring countries, later to return to their abodes in the wake of the victorious Arab armies and obtain their share of abandoned Jewish property..."

The Jordanian publication 'as-Difaa' (Sept 6, 1954) wrote vehemently.. "We were masters in our land, happy with our lot.. but overnight
everything changed. The Arab Governments told us: "Get out so that we can get in - so we got out but they the (the Arab governments) did not get in..."

A broadcast from the Near East Broadcasting Station on April 3, 1948 before the incident at the village of Deir Yassin) stated:
"As early as the first months of 1948 the Arab League encouraged the refugees' flight from their homes in Jaffa, Haifa, and Jerusalem and that certain leaders have tried to make political
capital of their miserable situation..."

True, there were a few incidents of violence upon the Arab residents during the heat of battle, but on the whole, Jewish leaders urged the Arabs to remain in In Palestine and become citizens of the new State. The Assembly of Palestine Jewry issued this appeal on Oct, 2, 1947. "The Jewish People extends the hand of sincere friendship and
brother- hood to the Arab peoples and calls them to cooperate as free and equal allies for the sake of peace and progress, for the benefit of their respective countries..."

It was emphasized on the day of Israel's Proclamation of Independence (May 14, 1948):
"In the midst of wanton agression, we call upon the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to return to the ways of peace and to play their part in the development of the State, with full
and equal citizenship and due representations in all its bodies and institutions, provisional or permanent..."

But the flight of the Arabs continued to the existing tradegy of the present day... and still the media is continuously mixing fact with fiction; except on Feb. 1962, when Salim Joubran, an Arab citizen of Israel, told the American television viewers his story:
"The Arab High Command asked us to leave the country for two weeks to make the battle easier for them, 'leave the country and you will come back victorious'. I heard the Haganah (Jewish Defence Forces) microphone asking the Arabs to remain and live peacefully with their Jewish bretheren. The Histadrut, our trade union, was
distributing leaflets, urging the Arabs not to leave. I remained and today I live in peace with my Jewish neighbors. I still have that leaflet..."

The separation of fact from fiction concerning the Arab refugee problem will enhance the prospects of peace between Israel and the
Palestinian Authority.