Speech #940130541

In fact. it is estimated that some 900.000 Jews were driven from Arab landsthe same Jews whose families had lived there for thousands of years and had contributed greatly to the progress. wealth. and culture to these nations. Forced to leave their homelands they were offered no reparations. in fact. in most cases they were prohibited from taking with them anything more than the clothes on their backs. Hence. when we speak of "involuntary migration" let us not forget that there were almost twice as many Jewish refugees who were forced from Arab countries as Arab refugees who left Israel of their own free will or at the orders or exhortations of their leaders. Today. ironically. it is the Arab leaders. not the Israelis. who force the Palestinians to live in debilitating squalor. While Israelis have taken steps to improve health conditions and encourage the economic prosperity of the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. the Arab leaders prevent the rehabilitation of the Palestinians who reside on their soil. holding out to all of them. instead. the hope of return and of "vengence" on the Jews of Israel to whom the Arabs have transferred blame for the Palestinians plight.