understand their positions and actions. Second, there are about five.
million Palestinians. Like Americans, they disagree on political issues.
They also change their minds as new circumstances develop. It is wrong to.
think Palestinians have a common view that remains unchanged. Their view.
changed considerably over the years. They view that the Israelis are.
taking the land rightfully theirs, and are being "bullied" by Israelis. .
They are the ones who had their land taken away from them and are left.
with no where to live. .
In 1948, there were approximately 860,000 Palestinians inside today's.
Israel. About 700,000 were driven out or fled during the fighting that.
followed the declaration of Israeli statehood. The Palestinian population.
of Jerusalem went from 75,000 to 3,500; of Jaffa from 70,000 to 3,600; of.
Haifa from 71,000 to 2,900; of Lydda-Ramle from 35,000 to 2,000; of.
Tiberias from 5,300 to zero. All refugees lost their property (about.
800,000 acres were taken for Israeli use.). The 160,000 Palestinians still.
in Israel in 1949 when the fighting stopped lost another 250,000 acres.
The Palestinians in Israel were left without resources or strong leaders.
When the Likud Party took power in 1977, it intensified colonization,.
pouring some $1 billion into settlement building over the next seven.
years. Today, land taken from the Palestinians and earmarked for military.
purposes or Jewish settlements amounts to more than 52% of the most.
fertile areas of the West Bank and 40% of the Gaza Strip. Only a very.
small percentage of this land was sold willingly by Palestinians. Most of.
it was confiscated, and is held to be for Jews only-not just Jews from.
Israel, but Jews from anywhere in the world. Many newly-arrived immigrants.
from the United States and Russia are given heavily financed housing in.
the settlements built on seized Palestinian land. By 1990, according to.
Israeli estimates, 83% of the water from the West Bank will be diverted to.