To: Father Terrence who wrote (13963 ) 8/10/2001 5:29:24 PM From: Neocon Read Replies (1) | Respond to There was a fairly long period of time when Palestinian Arabs and Jews lived peacefully, and when there was even discussion of a "binational" (what we might call bi- ethnic) state to come after the British Mandatory authorities. However, the increasing desperation of some Jewish factions, in trying to rescue Jews from the Nazis, and the fact that key Arab figures, like the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, expressed pro- Nazi sentiments, took that option off the table. It is pretty certain that during the War of Independence the Arab powers, confident of victory, advised the Palestinians to flee (temporarily). It is also fairly certain that a faction of the Irgun (a Jewish para- military group) committed some atrocities. In any event, after that, relations between the refugees and the Jewish Israelis were poisoned, although those Palestinian Arabs who maintained residence were afforded full citizenship.
