[dotancohen]

Well, don't take my word for it. Maybe these are people that you trust more than me.

  > "We brought disaster upon the refugees, by calling on them to leave their homes. We promised them that their expulsion would be temporary, and that they would return within a few days. We had to admit that we were wrong."

- Syrian Prime Minister Khalid AlAzm

  > "Since 1948 we have been demanding the return of the refugees to their homes, while it is we who made them leave."

- Same guy, Syrian PM Khalid AlAzm

  > "The Arab States encouraged the Palestine Arabs to leave their homes temporarily in order to be out of the way of the Arab invasion armies."

- Jordanian newspaper Falastin (Interesting fact, if I'm not mistaken the name of this very newspaper was the first Arab use of the word Falastin - way back in 1911!)

  > "The fact that there are these refugees is the direct consequence of the action of the Arab States in opposing partition and the Jewish state. The Arab States agreed upon this policy unanimously, and they must share in the solution of the problem."

- Arab Higher Committee Secretary Emile Ghoury

[nulld3v]

Obviously you can find quotes to support such a position. Just like I can run around quoting Israeli PMs about how Palestinians are rats and how they must all be killed. You have to look at the whole of the evidence, not individual quotes.

[dotancohen]

You're correct, of course. Let's look at the Israeli declaration of independence:

> WE APPEAL - in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months - to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions.

> WE EXTEND our hand to all neighboring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.

[licebmi__at__]

Funny how little the arguments and false niceties have changed since the US taking over native american land.