I would like to place the following statements in the thread. To the best of my knowledge, they are true facts. If anyone has actual evidence that any are inaccurate, PLEASE let me know, with appropriate references.

1.There was a moderate sized Jewish community in the Middle East prior to the turn of the last century, under the Ottoman Empire.

2. During the period of the British Mandate (1921? To 1948) Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived in the area.

3. At the time of the formation of the state of Israel, the area was partitioned into Israel and Transjordan.

4. The Israeli government invited the non-Jewish population to stay and participate in the state of Israel.

5. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Ordered the Muslim population to flee, temporarily, while the Arab League armies destroyed the Jews. They were then promised the lands they held before, plus the lands of the Jews.

6. Approximately 640,000 Muslims fled the area that was in conflict, by their own choice. A number did not, and they and their families still reside in Israel, as citizens.

7. Approximately 820,000 Jews throughout the Arab world were forced out of their homes, having possessions and property confiscated. No significant number of Jews was allowed to remain in any of the Arab countries.

8. At the end of the 1948 conflict, the Arab League gave the West Bank area of Palestine to Jordan, and procceded to remove or eliminate all Jewish inhabitants of that region.

9. No Arab nation allowed the "Palestinian" refugees to settle as citizens: The state of Israel welcomed all of the displaced Jews, and did not remove any non-Jew from the region.

10. During the period that Jordan had control of the West Bank, there was NO effort to settle any of the Muslim refugees there, or anywhere else.

As an aside, I grew up near a family of Palestinian Christians. They had fled (from the AL armies) from the town of Ramullah, a mainly Christian town. They talked about their Jewish neighbors, but did not remember any large number of Muslims living there.