August 16, 1948 Palestinian Refugees

Msgr. George Hakim, the Greek-Catholic Archbishop of Galilee:

“THE REFUGEES HAD BEEN CONFIDENT THAT THEIR ABSENCE FROM PALESTINE WOULD NOT LAST LONG, THAT THEY WOULD RETURN WITHIN A FEW DAYS – WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO.  THEIR LEADERS HAD PROMISED THEM THAT THE ARAB ARMIES WOULD CRUSH THE ‘ZIONIST GANGS’ VERY QUICKLY AND THAT THERE WAS NO NEED FOR PANIC OR FEAR OF A LONG EXIL.”

Source: Sada al-janub.  August 16, 1978