The Arabs NEVER rejected peace in 1948
They repeatedly offered a 1 State solution with equal citizenship to all
Zionist leaders opted to create #Israel, inc. by ethnic cleansing
Palestinians only rejected the partition of their homeland & losing 51% of it to a Jewish minority🧵
2\ Jordan's king met twice with Golda Meir in 1947/48.
Each time, he offered to give Jews in Palestine full autonomy under his rule with full equal rights, but Meir rejected.
Even then, he instructed his troops not to attack the parts of mandate Palestine designated for Jews.
3\ The head of the Arab Liberation Army met with Zionist leaders & offered them full equality & citizenship under his rule.
Josh Palmon from the Jewish Agency attested that "I'm sure Jews would've done good business under him." Zionist leaders rejected!
4\ A week after the war started, the Arab League's Secretary-General told Israel's newspaper the Jerusalem Post (then Palestine post):
"Whatever the outcome, the Arabs will stick to their offer of equal citizenship for Jews in Arab Palestine & let them be as Jewish as they like"
5\ The official Palestinian position in 1946/7 was the repatriation of recent migrants (about 1/3 of the Jewish population) & rejection of the UN partitioning their homeland & losing 51% of it.
Could Arabs have softened the Palestinian position? Possibly. But we'll never know!
6\ 11 years before the Nakba, David Ben-Gurion explained to his son that partition was just a way to capture all of Palestine:
"The establishment of a state, even if only on a portion of the land is...a powerful boost to our historical endeavours to liberate the entire country"
7\ In 1937, Ben-Gurion ordered Haganah officers to prepare the "Avnir Plan" for the military conquest of ALL of Palestine!
The plan was modified 3 times until "Plan Dalet" in 1948 aimed at maximum conquest & expulsion of the Palestinians according to Israeli historian Ilan Pappe
8\ Some Arab leaders in 1948 made populist inflammatory propaganda, which may have spread fear among the public
But #Israeli historian Prof. Yoav Gelber says their "goal was not & couldn't be pushing Jews into the [sea]," rather "mobilizing domestic support for lame politicians"
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