Did ben gurion write that they should expel the arabs
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Executive summary
Scholars and commentators disagree about whether David Ben‑Gurion wrote or intended the sentence “We must expel Arabs and take their place.” Some editions and historians quote that line from his October 5, 1937 letter to his son (and treat it as evidence of an endorsement of transfer) while others point to crossed‑out words, alternative readings, or fuller context that reverse or soften that formulation [1] [2] [3]. Available sources show a heated, decades‑long debate centered on a specific 1937 letter and on other contemporaneous documents and actions [1] [4] [5].
1. The contested sentence and where it comes from
The most cited passage appears in Ben‑Gurion’s 5 October 1937 letter to his son, where some printed versions quote: “We must expel Arabs and take their place,” a line used by historians like Benny Morris and cited in books and articles [1] [6]. Multiple outlets reproduce that wording and attribute it directly to the handwritten letter, and some scholars argue the phrase signals support for transfer as a political option [1] [2].
2. Why many say the quote is ambiguous
Researchers who examined the original manuscript note words crossed out in the handwritten letter; those corrections change whether the clause reads “we must expel” or “we do not want/need to expel.” Benny Morris himself later acknowledged that the original manuscript had words crossed out, and that the isolated quotation can be misleading without the rest of the paragraph [1]. Critics therefore say the plain‑text quotation is ambiguous and that the manuscript context matters [1].
3. Defenders who say Ben‑Gurion did not call for expulsions
Advocacy and media groups such as CAMERA and StandWithUs argue the authentic reading is the opposite — “We do not want and do not need to expel the Arabs and take their place” — and that the “must expel” formulation is a falsification or mistranslation; they present this as corrective scholarship aimed at restoring Ben‑Gurion’s intent [3] [7] [8]. These defenders emphasize other statements by Ben‑Gurion that express willingness to live with Arabs in the land [8].
4. Scholars who see the quotation as evidence of transferist thinking
Other academic commentators — and translations used by authors like Ilan Pappé or Nur Masalha — treat the stronger wording as legitimate and place it alongside other Ben‑Gurion texts and private remarks indicating acceptance of “transfer” (voluntary or coerced) as a political instrument. The Institute for Palestine Studies notes that a literal reading of the passage yields that “we must expel Arabs and take their place,” and frames that alongside recorded private endorsements of transfer [2] [6].
5. Documentary record beyond the 1937 letter
The debate is not solely about one line. Declassified documents and later correspondence are cited on both sides: some pieces indicate Ben‑Gurion sought expulsions for security reasons after 1948; Haaretz reports on a later 1949‑era letter in which Ben‑Gurion proposed expulsions of northern Arabs for security reasons [5]. Conversely, defenders point to other statements and planning documents claiming a policy oriented to coexistence and refuting a programmatic ethic of expulsions [9] [10].
6. What this dispute tells us about interpretation and political use
The quarrel is both philological and political: differences in translation, manuscript correction, and quotation selection allow advocates on different sides to marshal Ben‑Gurion’s words for opposing narratives. Critics of “revisionist” readings charge selective quotation or mistranslation; proponents of the harsher reading argue the literal text and other documents demonstrate transferist thinking [9] [1] [2]. Each camp’s institutional or political sympathies shape which editions and excerpts they foreground [9] [7].
7. How to evaluate the claim responsibly
Available sources show legitimate ambiguity about the specific phrasing in the 1937 letter and clear disagreement among historians and organizations. If you need a concise conclusion: the quote “We must expel Arabs and take their place” appears in several respected works and translations and is read by many scholars as evidence of Ben‑Gurion’s tolerance for transfer [1] [2]; however, other researchers and fact‑checking organizations contend the manuscript and fuller context support the opposite or a softened meaning and accuse some publications of misquoting or mistranslation [3] [7] [8]. Readers should treat isolated quotations cautiously and consult both the manuscript evidence and multiple scholarly accounts before drawing definitive judgments [1] [3].
Limitations: this summary uses only the provided search results; available sources do not mention any newly discovered archival material beyond those cited here that would finally resolve the manuscript ambiguity (not found in current reporting).