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 Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Abbreviations......Page 23 Introduction to revised edition......Page 25 ENDNOTES......Page 32 1 Background: a brief history......Page 33 PALESTINIAN JEWISH SOCIETY......Page 38 MILITARY PREPARATION......Page 40 PALESTINIAN ARAB SOCIETY......Page 41 MILITARY PREPARATIONS......Page 52 THE ARAB WORLD......Page 58 ENDNOTES......Page 60 2 The idea of ‘transfer’ in Zionist thinking before 1948......Page 63 ENDNOTES......Page 85 3 The first wave: the Arab exodus, December 1947 – March 1948......Page 89 YISHUV POLICY, DECEMBER 1947 – MARCH 1948......Page 92 PALESTINIAN ARAB POLICY DURING NOVEMBER 1947 – MARCH 1948......Page 110 JEWISH AND ARAB PEACE-MAKING EFFORTS, DECEMBER 1947 TO MARCH 1948......Page 114 Haifa......Page 123 Jaffa......Page 133 Jerusalem......Page 140 The Coastal Plain......Page 149 FLIGHT FROM OTHER RURAL COMMUNITIES, DECEMBER 1947 – MARCH 1948......Page 154 THE ARAB AUTHORITIES’ RESPONSES TO THE EXODUS, DECEMBER 1947 – MARCH 1948......Page 157 ENDNOTES......Page 163 4 The second wave: the mass exodus, April–June 1948......Page 187 Tiberias......Page 205 Haifa......Page 210 Jaffa......Page 235 Safad......Page 245 Beisan (Beit Shean)......Page 250 Acre......Page 252 THE COUNTRYSIDE......Page 256 OPERATION NAHSHON......Page 257 THE BATTLE OF MISHMAR HA‘EMEK......Page 264 THE BATTLE OF RAMAT YOHANAN......Page 268 THE COASTAL PLAIN......Page 269 OPERATION YIFTAH (MIVTZA YIFTAH)......Page 272 OPERATION BEN-‘AMI (MIVTZA BEN-‘AMI)......Page 276 THE SOUTH, APRIL–JUNE 1948......Page 278 CONCLUSION......Page 286 ENDNOTES......Page 290 5 Deciding against a return of the refugees, April–December 1948......Page 333 ENDNOTES......Page 358 6 Blocking a return......Page 365 THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ARAB VILLAGES......Page 366 TAKEOVER AND ALLOCATION OF ABANDONED LANDS, 1948–1949......Page 384 ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW SETTLEMENTS, 1948–1949......Page 393 ABSORPTION AND SETTLEMENT OF NEW IMMIGRANTS, 1948 – EARLY 1949......Page 406 ENDNOTES......Page 420 7 The third wave: the Ten Days (9–18 July) and the Second Truce (18 July–15 October)......Page 438 THE NORTH......Page 439 THE CENTRE......Page 447 THE SOUTH......Page 460 OPERATIONS DURING THE SECOND TRUCE, JULY–OCTOBER 1948......Page 462 ENDNOTES......Page 472 8 The fourth wave: the battles and exodus of October–November 1948......Page 486 THE SOUTH......Page 489 THE NORTH......Page 497 CONCLUSION......Page 514 ENDNOTES......Page 516 THE NORTH......Page 529 THE SOUTH......Page 541 THE CENTRE......Page 553 ENDNOTES......Page 560 THE PALESTINE CONCILIATION COMMISSION AND LAUSANNE I: STALEMATE......Page 573 THE GAZA PLAN INTERLUDE......Page 585 THE PCC AND LAUSANNE II: THE ‘100,000 OFFER’ AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE TALKS......Page 594 ENDNOTES......Page 604 Conclusion......Page 612 ENDNOTES......Page 624 THE NUMBER OF PALESTINIAN REFUGEES......Page 626 ENDNOTES......Page 628 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES......Page 629 PRIMARY SOURCES......Page 633 SECONDARY WORKS......Page 634 Index......Page 641 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 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. 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. 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.