The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited (Cambridge Middle East Studies, Series Number 18)

Morris' earlier work exposed the realities of how 700,000 Palestinians became refugees during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. While the focus of this edition remains the war and exodus, new archival material considers what happened in Jerusalem, Jaffa and Haifa, and how these events led to the collapse of urban Palestine. Revealing battles and atrocities that contributed to the disintegration of rural communities, the story is harrowing. The refugees now number four million and their cause remains a major obstacle to regional peace. First Edition Hb (1988): 0-521-33028-9 First Edition Pb (1989): 0-521-33889-1 Benny Morris'The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem was published in 1988. Its startling revelations about how and why 700,000 Palestinians left their homes and became refugees during the Arab-Israeli war in 1948 undermined traditional interpretations as to whether they left voluntarily or were expelled as part of a systematic plan. This book represents a revised edition of the earlier work, compiled on the basis of newly-opened Israeli military archives. While the focus remains the 1948 war and the analysis of the Palestinian exodus, the new material contains more information about what happened in Jerusalem, Jaffa and Haifa, and how events there led to the collapse of Palestinian urban society. It also sheds light on the battles and atrocities that resulted in the disintegration of rural communities. The story is a harrowing one. The refugees now number four million and their existence remains a major obstacle to peace. Benny Morris' The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem was published in 1988. Its startling revelations about how and why 700,000 Palestinians left their homes and became refugees during the Arab-Israeli war in 1948 undermined traditional interpretations as to whether they left voluntarily or were expelled as part of a systematic plan. This book represents a revised edition of the earlier work, compiled on the basis of newly-opened Israeli military archives. While the focus remains the 1948 war and the analysis of the Palestinian exodus, the new material contains more information about what happened in Jerusalem, Jaffa and Haifa, and how events there led to the collapse of Palestinian urban society. It also sheds light on the battles and atrocities that resulted in the disintegration of rural communities. The story is a harrowing one. The refugees now number four million and their existence remains a major obstacle to peace Content: Background : a brief history -- The idea of 'transfer' in Zionist thinking before 1948 -- The first wave : the Arab exodus, December 1947 -- March 1948 -- The second wave : the mass exodus, April -- June 1948 -- Deciding against a return of the refugees, April -- December 1948 -- Blocking a return -- The third wave : the Ten Days (9-18 July) and the second truce (18 July -- 15 October) -- The fourth wave : the battles and exodus of October -- November 1948 -- Clearing the borders : expulsions and population transfers, November 1948 -- 1950 -- Solving the refugee problem, December 1948 -- September 1949. While the focus remains on the 1948 war and the analysis of the Palestinian exodus, this edition contains more information about what happened in Jerusalem, Jaffa and Haifa, and how events there led to the collapse of Palestinian urban society. Abstract: This book explores the realities behind the Palestinian exodus of 1948 during the Arab-Israeli war. Read more... Modern Zionism began with the prophetic-programmatic writings of Moses Hess, Judah Alkalai, Zvi Hirsch Kalischer and Theodor Herzl and the immigration from Russia to Ottoman-ruled Palestine in the 1880s of Jews dedicated to rebuilding a national home for the Jewish people on their ancient land, the Land of Israel, in Zionist parlance. The birth of the Palestinian refugee problem is traced from the 1947-9 exodus and the first Arab-Israeli war through Israel's decision to bar refugee repatriation and the subsequent fate of the abandoned Arab territories.