1973 Palestinian Refugees Khaled el-Azm Prime Minister of Syria in 1948 In listing the reasons for the Arab failure in 1948, notes that “…the fifth factor was the call by the Arab governments to the inhabitants of Palestine to evacuate it (Palestine) and leave for the bordering Arab countries.  Since 1948, it is we who have demanded the return of the refugees, while it is we who made them leave.  We brought disaster upon a million Arab refugees by inviting them and bringing pressure on them to leave.  We have accustomed them to begging…we have participated in lowering their morale and social level…Then we exploited them in executing crimes of murder, arson and throwing stones upon men, women and children…all this in the service of political purposes…” Source: Memoirs of Khaled el-Azm 1973