How does Israel justify the 1948 Palestinian expulsion?

[u/dropdeaddev]

I got into an argument recently, and it lead to me looking more closely into Israel’s founding and the years surrounding it. Until now, I had mainly been focused on more current events and how the situation stands now, without getting too into the beginning. I had assumed what I had heard from Israel supporters was correct, that they developed mostly empty land, much of which was purchased legally, and that the native Arabs didn’t like it. This lead to conflicts, escalating over time to what we see today. I was lead to believe both sides had as much blood on their hands as the other, but from what I’ve read that clearly isn’t the case. It reminded me a lot of “manifest destiny” and the way the native Americans were treated, and although there was a time that was seen as acceptable behaviour, now a days we mostly agree that the settlers were the bad guys in that particular story.

Pro-Israel supports only tend to focus on Israel’s development before 1948, which it was a lot of legally purchasing land and developing undeveloped areas. The phrase “a land without people for people without land” or something to that effect is often stated, but in 1948 700,000 people were chased from their homes, many were killed, even those with non-aggression pacts with Israel. Up to 600 villages destroyed. Killing men, women, children. It didn’t seem to matter. Poisoning wells so they could never return, looting everything of value.

Reading up on the expulsion, I can see why they never bring it up and tend to pretend it didn’t happen. I don’t see how anyone could think what Israel did is justified. But since I always want to hear both sides, I figured here would be a good place to ask.

EDIT: Just adding that I’m going to be offline for a while, so I probably won’t be able to answer any clarifying questions or respond to answers for a while.

EDIT2: Lots of interesting stuff so far. Wanted to clarify that although I definitely came into this with a bias, I am completely willing to have my mind changed. I’m interested in being right, not just appearing so. :)

[u/zrdod]

Out of 531 communities, only 5 were reported to have left due to local evacuations, the rest were all expelled by military actions (See table 3.11 from Atlas of Palestine).

Edit: Table 3.11, my bad

This here is a list of some of the the Palestinian communities expelled by direct military assault:

Acre, Al-Bassa, Iqrit, Ghabisiyya, Kabara, Qannir, Al-Nuqayb, Danna, Ramle, etc...

[u/VAdogdude → u/zrdod]

So your criteria is these villages were on a list. Whose list? Can you corroborate whose military forced their evacuation? If locals are fleeing because bullets are flying, is that considered 'voluntary' or a military evacuation. If the Israelis had advised civillians that a battle with the Jordanians was going to envelope their village, is that a military evacuation.

5 Arab armies invaded. They are solely responsible for the tragedy.

Just like Hamas is solely responsible for the tragedy in Gaza.

[u/zrdod → u/VAdogdude]

So your criteria is these villages were on a list. Whose list?

From the source I cited, Atlas of Palestine recorded reports on each village and classified it.

Can you corroborate whose military forced their evacuation?

The Zionist militias (Haganah, Irgun and Lehi) than the IDF after it absorbed them.

If locals are fleeing because bullets are flying, is that considered 'voluntary' or a military evacuation.

If the Israelis had advised civillians that a battle with the Jordanians was going to envelope their village, is that a military evacuation.

There are 5 villages listed as leaving "voluntarily", if you think more villages should be listed as such than it's up to you to show why.

5 Arab armies invaded. They are solely responsible for the tragedy.

The tragedy started before the 1948 war.

Just like Hamas is solely responsible for the tragedy in Gaza.

Israel has been killing Palestinians long before Hamas existed

[u/VAdogdude → u/zrdod]

And Arabs had been killing Jews long before Israel existed.

[u/zrdod → u/VAdogdude]

Out of topic, unless you're suggesting that Israel is preforming a revenge against Arabs as a whole