Palestinian refugees

The United Nations created a second definition of the term "refugee" in regards to Palestinian Arabs. For this group only, an Arab is officially considered a Palestinian refugee even if that person had recently immigrated to the British mandate of Palestine in the last two years before 1948. By this definition, some of the Palestinians refugees actually were never Palestinians, but in fact were Arabs from outside Palestine. Many Israelis consider this redefinition of the term to be an act of anti-Zionism, aimed at weakening the legitimacy of the State of Israel.

The Palestinians claim that the question of the Palestinian refugees is one of the world's largest and most enduring refugee disasters (made such, as Israel claims, by Arab countries' own policies). They claim further that the bulk of Palestinian refugees have been inhabitants of Palestine for many generations (to which some experts disagree), and the decision to consider Palestinians as any inhabitants since 1946 is purely administrative. Discussions on granting Palestinians right of return have yet to reach a definite conclusion, although as the introduction of millions of refugees is likely to lead to the destruction of Israel, it is unlikely that a full-scale return will take place.