David Ben-Gurion Controversial Statements Record
On October 5, 1937, David Ben-Gurion wrote a letter to his son Amos following the Peel Commission’s proposal to partition Mandatory Palestine. A translated sentence from this correspondence has been widely cited as stating, “We must expel Arabs and take their places.” The original Hebrew manuscript contains revisions and crossed-out text, and historians have debated the accuracy and context of the English rendering. The letter has become one of the most referenced documents in discussions of early Zionist policy toward the Arab population.
In discussions surrounding partition and statehood in the late 1930s, Ben-Gurion referred to the concept of “transfer” of Arab populations, using the Hebrew term “ha’avara.” Interpretations of this term vary among scholars, with some describing it as a reference to negotiated population exchange and others interpreting it as support for compulsory removal. These statements appear in party meetings, correspondence, and internal political discussions during the British Mandate period.
During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, military directives issued under the leadership of the provisional government included references to securing areas and removing hostile forces from strategic zones. Archival documents contain language about “clearing” villages and ensuring territorial continuity. These wartime communications have been examined in academic research and are frequently cited in debates concerning displacement during the 1948 conflict.
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