Arab refugee blames arab lies for triggering mass flight in ‎‎1948‎

2 testimonies:

• 1948 Refugee: The Arab media "lied and deceived the people"
• Palestinian "settlement affairs" expert: "The Arab states promised them [in 1948] that they would return after a week" 

Interviewed on official PÅ TV, Palestinian refugee Muhammad Khana complained that the lying Arab propaganda and media is what made the Arabs leave in 1948 during Israel's War of Independence:

Palestinian refugee Muhammad Khana: "[In 1948, the Arab] propaganda and media had a central role in us leaving. The media and propaganda, the propaganda [claimed] that there is a horrifying [Jewish] force coming."

[Official PA TV, Source of the Story, May 13, 2025]

Palestinian Media Watch reported on an interview in 2022 with Khana in which he was explicit: The Arab media "lied and deceived" people, claiming that the Jews "killed and slaughtered," which made Arabs flee:

Palestinian refugee Muhammad Khana Zakariya: "The resistance [in 1948] was organized but every town was alone. We had no leadership, because when the Arab armies came in, they did not agree to recognize a Palestinian state… The most dangerous thing for us was the media. There was no [Arab] TV. There were [Arab] radio and newspapers. Every night towards evening I would read the paper to the elderly in our neighborhood. They enjoyed it and were happy. They heard that in a certain town the Jews did this and that. They killed and slaughtered. Of course, the newspapers lied, and the radio also lied. In other words, they deceived the people. [They said:] The [Arab] armies are coming, the forces are coming, and so on. No way."

[Official PA TV, My Home is There, May 14, 2022]

Similarly, Palestinian "settlement affairs" expert Khalil Al-Tafakji recently confirmed Arab responsibility for the refugees leaving, saying they left because the Arab leaders told people to leave in 1948, promising them they would return shortly: 

"Settlement affairs" expert Khalil Al-Tafakji: "The Palestinian people is paying attention to this point: That the issue of the 1948 Nakba (i.e., "the catastrophe," the establishment of Israel) will not repeat itself. They will not leave the land and [believe] as the Arab states promised them [in 1948] that they would return after a week. [Instead] they have remained scattered around the world for 70 years until now."

[Official PA TV, War Documents, March 1, 2025]

Palestinian Media Watch has exposed numerous testimonies by Arab refugees, confirming that it was Arab leaders, Arab armies, and the Arab media that caused the Arabs to flee and become refugees: 

Muhammad Khana left the abandoned Arab town of Zakariya near Beit Shemesh in the 1948 Israeli War of Independence.