In ~1900 the Jewish presence in the area was tiny, the vast majority of the inhabitants being Arabs. When Britain was handed the Mandate of Palestine in ~1918 we allowed in Jews en masse, against the professed wishes of the majority Arab population. We tried to reduce immigration later. But post 1945 there were huge numbers entering, for obvious reasons.
I was not under the impression that if your ancestors lived in an area hundreds or thousands of years ago, that gave you a right to the land. Maybe the 'celts' should expel the English back to Northern Europe? They could do that following your reasoning. My parents used to live in a nice house in Leicester. Does that give me a right to that house?
The truth is that Jews suffered persecution for thousands of years, the Holocaust being the most extreme example. And post 1945 European countries saw 'Israel' as a way to rid itself of the Jewish problem. Even after the end of WW2, there were pogroms in Eastern Europe. Poles and others often helped the Nazis and profited from the expulsions/murders of Jews. And lots of countries felt sorry for the Jews. So non Arab countries voted for the establishment of Israel, against the wishes of the Arabs. It is hardly surprising the Arabs feel an injustice was committed, because one was. Both the Jews and the Arabs have suffered.
The problem is how to square the circle. Many Arabs were expelled from Israel. Many Jews were expelled from Europe, and Arab countries. Many Jews know Israel as their birth place, it is their home.
It is a bloody mess.
