How the “Palestinians” Became “Refugees”

⭐ First: There were no “Palestinians” or “Palestine” as a national identity before the mid-20th century

Before 1948, the residents of the British Mandate (now Israel and Jordan) — Jews, Christians, Arabs, Armenians, Greeks, and others — saw themselves by religion, clan, or region, not as “Palestinians.” That national identity didn’t exist yet.

• Jewish newspapers were called The Palestine Post.

• The Jewish symphony was the Palestine Orchestra.

• Arab residents identified primarily by clan, village, tribe, or as “Arabs”, not as “Palestinians.”

The specifically Arab “Palestinian” identity emerges after 1948 — as a reaction to the Arab–Israeli conflict.

⭐ Now, here’s how the refugee status happened — mechanically, not emotionally:

1. The UN voted to partition the land (Nov 29, 1947).

The Jewish side accepted the plan. The Arab side rejected it outright and declared they would prevent the Jewish state by force.

2. Arab leaders (locally and regionally) told Arab civilians to leave the war zones.

This is the part that actually creates the refugee class. When the British withdrew and the civil war broke out (late 1947–May 1948), local Arab commanders, the Arab Higher Committee, and later invading Arab armies told Arab residents:

• “Leave temporarily so the armies can crush the Jews.”

• “Once we win, you’ll come back and take not only your land but the Jews’ land too.”

This is not a myth — it’s documented by:

• British intelligence reports

• Arab historians (e.g., Haled al-Azm, Prime Minister of Syria)

• Contemporary Arab newspapers

• Testimony from Arab refugees themselves

Roughly 300,000–400,000 Arabs left before a single Israeli soldier existed (before May 1948).

3. Five Arab armies invaded on May 15, 1948.

Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon launched a war to destroy the new State of Israel.

As the war expanded:

• More Arab civilians fled battle zones.

• Some were expelled by necessity in active combat zones — which every army on Earth does.

• Key point: the bulk had already left voluntarily or at the urging of Arab leadership.

Total refugees created: roughly 600,000.

4. Arab nations refused to take them in — on purpose.

Every other refugee population in the world (100+ million people in the 20th century alone) was absorbed by surrounding countries.

• But the Arab states surrounding Israel did something unique:

• They refused citizenship to the Arabs who fled.

• They forced them into camps rather than letting them integrate.

They declared publicly that they would remain refugees until Israel was destroyed. This is why no other refugee group from the 1940s still exists as a multi-generation refugee population.

5. UNRWA created a unique, hereditary refugee status only for Palestinians.

Normally, refugee status ends when:

• You are resettled

• ou become a citizen elsewhere

• Or one generation passes

But the UN created a special, never-ending category only for Palestinians:

• You are a refugee even if you live in the same land.

• You are a refugee if you are the great-grandchild of someone who left.

• You are a refugee even if you are a citizen of another country (Jordan).

  
  

This is how 600,000 refugees in 1948 become over 5 million today.

⭐ Summary:

Palestinians became “refugees” because local and regional Arab leaders told them to leave a war they started, expecting victory; Israel won; Arab states refused to resettle them; and the UN created a special hereditary refugee status for them alone. For further reading: There Has Never Been a Nation Called "Palestine" ------

© 2025 Timothy Tobin. All rights reserved. First publication: The Red Pill. This essay may be quoted or excerpted with proper attribution to the author and source link.