None of that really happened, of course. Nor did any of Ihmoud’s other claims. Israeli troops did not engage in “systematic massacres and evictions during the destruction of Palestinian villages in 1948.” As The Palestinian Delusion: The Catastrophic History of the Middle East Peace Process shows, the Arabs, for the most part, left Israel because they were ordered to do so by Muslim Arab leaders. The Arab Higher Committee actually exhorted Arabs to leave the new State of Israel, and they obeyed in large numbers.
This action had been contemplated for a considerable period: in May 1946, fully two years before the State of Israel proclaimed its independence, Abdul Rahman Hassan Azzam, secretary-general of the Arab League, stated that “Arab circles proposed to evacuate all Arab women and children from Palestine and send them to neighboring countries, to declare ‘Jehad’ and to consider Palestine a war zone.”
When the war came, many of the Arab Muslims left of their own accord, to the consternation of others who were determined to wage jihad. The Arab newspaper Ash Sha’ab, based in Jaffa, lamented on January 30, 1948, that “the first group of our fifth column consists of those who abandon their houses and businesses and go to live else- where…. At the first sign of trouble they take to their heels to escape sharing the burden of struggle [jihad].”
Others left because the plan to get the Arabs out of harm’s way until the Jews were destroyed and Israel was defeated was being implemented. The Economist magazine reported on October 3, 1948: “Of the 62,000 Arabs who formerly lived in Haifa not more than 5,000 or 6,000 remained. Various factors influenced their decision to seek safety in flight. There is but little doubt that the most potent of the factors were the announcements made over the air by the Higher Arab Executive, urging the Arabs to quit…. It was clearly intimated that those Arabs who remained in Haifa and accepted Jewish protection would be regarded as renegades.”
The Jordanian daily Falastin complained on February 19, 1949, that “the Arab state which had encouraged the Palestine Arabs to leave their homes temporarily in order to be out of the way of the Arab invasion armies, have failed to keep their promise to help these refugees.”
The Near East Arabic Broadcasting Station confirmed this on April 3, 1949: “It must not be forgotten that the Arab Higher Committee encouraged the refugees’ flight from their homes in Jaffa, Haifa, and Jerusalem.” The Egyptian daily Akhbar el Yom on October 12, 1963, reported that the grand mufti had issued the same call to Arabs to leave: “The 15th May, 1948, arrived…. On that day the mufti of Jerusalem appealed to the Arabs of Palestine to leave the country, because the Arab armies were about to enter and fight in their stead.”
The Jordanian daily Al Urdun reported on April 9, 1953: “For the flight and fall of the other villages it is our leaders who are responsible because of their dissemination of rumors exaggerating Jewish crimes and describing them as atrocities in order to inflame the Arabs…. By spreading rumors of Jewish atrocities, killings of women and children etc., they instilled fear and terror in the hearts of the Arabs in Palestine, until they fled leaving their homes and properties to the enemy.”
“U. of Florida Pro-Palestine Club Posts Antisemitic Messages to Social Media,” by Tom Ciccotta, Breitbart, May 17, 2020:
The University of Florida’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine posted several antisemitic messages on Instagram this week. The group previously came under fire after they were accused of hurling antisemitic remarks at a campus guest lecturer from the Israeli Defense Force.
The Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Florida came under fire this week for a post on Instagram that accused “Zionist forces” of engaging in an “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians between 1947 and 1949.
“Rooted in 19th century Zionist thought that called for the est. of a Jewish state on indigenous Palestinian land. Passed in Nov. 1947, UN Resolution 181 divided land between Palestinians and Jews. In March 1948, the Plan Dalet military strategy enforced by Israeli Parliamentary force that called for the “destruction of villages,’” the Instagram post from Friday reads.
Student protesters from the Students for Justice in Palestine reported hurled anti-semitic remarks at guest lecturer Yoni Michanie, an Israeli Defense Force reserve member during an event in November. The protesters reported called Michanie a “Nazi” and a “war criminal” during the event. Michanie shared a video from the event on Twitter in November….
PRCS says
But, as the ‘Palestinians’ have been feed that lie–all there lives in many cases–they’re not going to believe the truth now.
If–that is–they’re ever exposed to the truth.
Charlie in NY says
Don’t forget that the very first Arabs to leave Mandatory Palestine, and they needed no encouragement, were the elite and powerful families. Of all the later “refugees”, only a comparatively few were forced out by Israeli forces and even then these inhabitants were among those who had attacked Israeli forces whose villages were now behind Israeli lines or from villages that overlooked strategic areas. These expulsions were the exceptions.
Most civilians, quite understandably, fled to avoid being caught in the crossfire – whether or not encouraged by Arab leaders, others fled based on false or exaggerated atrocity stories – with Deir Yassein standing out as an Arab “own goal” as the purpose was to appeal to Arab honor to come back and fight but the result was to make them runaway faster. That particular humiliation still stings today.
Ultimately, the story of the supposed of Arabs was used to crowd out the very real instances of the complete ethnic cleansing of Jews from the lands seized by Egypt and Transjordan and the murder, pillaging and expulsion of the Jewish communities throughout the Arab world. Sadly, that Arab propaganda exercise has been generally successful in achieving its malevolent objective.
gravenimage says
Good post, Charlie.
Wellington says
Yes, greavenimage, a very good and accurate post, though the lies of the Arab Muslim world will continue to outpace the truth of the birth of Israel since lies are easy and truth is hard.
gravenimage says
Grimly true, Wellington.
J says
Personally think about how much they know nakba is actually not spelled that way
gravenimage says
J, this word, which means “catastrophe” or “disaster”–is spelled in a slew of ways, including Naqba and Nakba and even Nacba.
Arabic is *not* a language known for its precision. Lots of terms for violence, though…
And originally, it didn’t even refer to any actions by Israel, which did not exist yet in the modern sense. It referred to the British Mandate in the 1920s, where local Muslims were supposedly heartbroken over being politically separated from Syria. The local Muslims just recycled the term 25 years or so later.
Wellington says
Projection on steroids. No ideology, secular or religious, has engaged in, over such a long period of time, “cleansing” those who dare disagree with the ideology “in charge” more so than has Islam.
No one can name me a malevolent, control-freak, totalitarian ideology which has lasted longer than Islam and which has done so much damage to the cause of overall liberty—liberty being a great concept first developed by the ancient Greeks, carried on thereafter by such noble peoples like the English, the Dutch, the Swiss and, most impressively I would argue, the Americans.
This is your accurate and fully deserved legacy, Muslims. You must be so proud. But ALL who prize freedom have no recourse but complete disgust with the Islamic creed. Liberty demands this contempt. Indeed, a la Luther at Worms in 1521, it can do no other
gravenimage says
+1
Shastra says
lol come out of your eurocentric world and see the facts. even before greeks asian cultures like india and china had it.
Wellington says
Shastra: At no point did ancient China or ancient India develop freedom as first explored by the ancient Greeks (who invented democracy) and thereafter over the centuries by certain other European peoples. You suffer from an anti-eurocentric bias which disallows you to acknowledge that the only civilization to develop true liberty was the West.
Prove me wrong. I say you can’t.
gravenimage says
Where did ancient India and China ever have individual freedom–or even the concept of it? Citations, please.
Wellington says
Shastra, of course, gravenimage, won’t be able to provide citations. Like so many who post something false and, in particular, something denigrating to Western Civilization, they “hit and run.” No back-up. Cowardly actually.
gravenimage says
True, Wellington.
gravenimage says
U of Florida pro-Palestinian group falsely accuses “Zionists” of “ethnic cleansing” Palestinians from 1947 to 1949
……………………
Muslims rely on lies, because they’ve got nothing else.
Harry Again says
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Arab_towns_and_villages_depopulated_during_the_1948_Palestinian_exodus
Jack Cade says
Now I have to boycott my Gators!
PRCS says
Life just ain’t fair!
gravenimage says
Nah–you still get to cheer for the Gators. If we were barred from supporting the team of every college with ugly pro-Islam groups, none could have any fans.
Gamzu says
“There is but little doubt that the most potent of the factors were the announcements made over the air by the Higher Arab Executive, urging the Arabs to quit…. It was clearly intimated that those Arabs who remained in Haifa and accepted Jewish protection would be regarded as renegades.”
Yes, those who fled probably feared their fellow Arabs more than they feared the Jews.
Gamzu says
Had the Arabs not fled, it would have been bad news for Israel, demographically speaking. Some might see the hand of God in this.
mortimer says
Agree with Wellington: “projection”. Islam is a genocidal ideology. Judaism is not. Judaism contains the Golden Rule and has the first example of it: “Love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” — Leviticus 19:18.
The book of Leviticus was written around 1440 BC.
Many verses in the Koran and hadiths can be interpreted as solicitation of genocide.
somehistory says
Wishing UF could boot them off campus.
There should be a way. After all, that is “not who we are”…so full of hate and filth and lies. The “not who we are” is proclaimed when the Truth about islam is made known, so it should be even more so when lies are told. Those who are for Truth, are not part of the “we” that allows lies to be told and hatred for innocent peoples to be encouraged, and , I’m really fed up with what moslims are doing to my home State.
This has to be bad for the reputation of UF, a school with many, many good professors, wonderful doctors, etc.
What a twisted world is this one in which we find ourselves. satan the devil and his wild bast have overwhelmed mankind.
Harry Again says
I suppose this never happened either.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_Hotel_bombing
gravenimage says
What crap–who here has said what “Harry Again” falsely implies?
Wellington says
What a rube you are and how much you don’t get. Here’s one thing you’re clueless of: moderate Jews took care of extremist Jews while extremist Arabs took care of moderate Arabs. The history of the modern Middle East in microcosm.
And, as gravenimage has already noted, no one here at JW has denied the inexcusable King David Hotel bombing in 1946.
You’re desperate, as so many deficient people are. It shows. You bet it does.
Rae says
I am way past caring about what anyone thinks. I know it is dumb also Time.
MrLogical says
“A lie, told often enough, soon becomes the truth.” – Jos. Goebbels
MrLogical says
The ‘illusion of truth’ can be a dangerous weapon in the hands of a propagandist like Joseph Goebbels (Credit: Getty Images)
OLD GUY says
Poor muslims and Palestinians always the poor me. The U of F should think twice about supporting islamic clubs and organizations as U of F receive funding from us American tax payers. Any organization that uses the U of F name and publishes articles that are incorrect or outright lies should be sanctioned or not allowed on the Campus as a university organization.
Ben Kennedy says
Moslem cry babies get the “Oh poor you” from the drugged new age hippies that welcome other people who will do their thinking for them. They will make perfect beast of burdens for their moslem masters. What can the rest of us do who actually know the history? Stupidity, like weeds or crab grass, need no tending to survive or thrive. The only thing we can rely on is for the moslem to lie, and lie incessantly. The entire body of the moslem language arts is the accomplished lie told to the tickling ears of the otherwise intellectually brain dead people that gave up thinking very early on. Red China doesn’t give a damn about what anyone anywhere else in the world thinks; And (get this) the moslem beast worshiping Satan even leave them alone. Is it because Satan already have the Red Chinese by their middle leg, so Allah says don’t mess with my Country Red China? Both kill anyone Allah points his Satanic finger at. And both can lie with equal skill.