Reply #9: Quick answers. [View All]

[Igel]

Did the original rules allow the Israelis to push the Palestinians out of their homes?
No.

Who give the British and other counties the authority to take land away from the people who had lived there for thousands of years?
The Ottoman Empire, the Sick Man of Europe, died at the hands of Europe in WWI and thereafter. Since he died without a will, they divvied up the estate. France got Syria, Turkey was left with Turkey, and the British got most of what was left (Iraq, territory on both sides of the Jordan). If it makes you feel any better, the Austro-Hungarian Empire also died in WWI. And they screwed up when they granted freedom to Europe territories, too. Think "Yugoslavia".

The British got the Ottoman-owned land (i.e., land without any other owner). It was owned by the state; change of state, change of owner. I think, but can't show, that the state-owned land would have become Israel-owned territory or Palestine-owned territory under the plans approved. The private land would have stayed private.

That's very much not how it went, between people fleeing and people being expelled; then there was the great influx of Jews from Arab lands, also not quite planned. Land owned by refugees was later nationalized by Israel after being unused for a while (i.e., owners were refugees elsewhere, not allowed back in), and is held in trust for Jewish citizens, IIRC.