June 30, 1949 Arab Refugees by hadassah | Jul 11, 2017 | Arabs Say No to Jewish Homeland, Presence in the Land, State of Israel Monsignor George Hakim, Greek Catholic Bishop of Galilee: “The Arabs of Haifa fled in spite of the fact that the Jewish authorities guaranteed their safety and rights as citizens of Israel.” Source: New York Herald Tribune .June 30, 1949.