The responsibility of Arab leaders in Middle Eastern problems

Especially in the evacuation of Palestinians, normally blamed on Israel, is recognised by several Palestinian journalists:

Palestinian Media Watch has been accumulating instances of admission by Palestinians and other Arabs that the Arab leaders called for the evacuation of the homes. This is particularly significant given the scarcity of introspective self-criticism in Arab society. Perhaps PMW glosses over the instances of forced evacuation, but they are correct in that the Arab leadership bears responsibility for the refugee problem- not only for urging the villagers to flee, but also for invading Israel and initiating the hostilities in 1948 and in 1967 that led to the current refugee situation.

“The Arabs who became refugees in 1948 were not expelled by Israel but left on their own to facilitate the destruction of Israel, according to a senior Palestinian journalist writing in a Palestinian daily. This plan to leave Israel was initiated by the Arab states fighting Israel, who promised the people they would be able to return to their homes in a few days once Israel was defeated. The article in Al-Ayyam concludes that these Arab states are responsible for the Arab refugee problem.”

And yet not word of this in international media. Interesting as ever.

Conclusion
It is clear from these statements that there is general acknowledgement among Palestinians that Arab leaders bear responsibility for the mass flight of Arabs from Israel in 1948, and were the cause of the “refugee” problem. Furthermore, the fact that this information has been validated by public figures and refugees in the Palestinian Authority media itself confirms that this responsibility is well-known – even though for propaganda purposes its leaders continue to blame Israel publicly for “the expulsion.”

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