The Mufti of Jerusalem, their principal spokesman, refused to accept Jewish statehood. When UN proposed partition in November 1947, he rejected the plan while the Jews accepted it. In the military struggle that followed, the Palestinians were defeated. Violence was used on both
sides.
Israel was established on May 14,1948. Five Arab armies, coming to the aid of the Palestinians, immediately attacked it. Uncoordinated and
outnumbered, they were defeated by Israeli forces. Israel enlarged its territory. Jordan took the West Bank of the Jordan River, and Egypt took
the Gaza Strip. (Israel occupied these lands after the Six-Day War of 1967.) The war produced 780,000 Palestinian refugees. About half
probably left out of fear and panic, while the rest were forced out to make room for Jewish immigrants from Europe and from the Arab world. The
Palestinians spread throughout the neighboring countries, where they have maintained their Palestinian national identity and the
desire to
return to their homeland.