Victor Davis Hanson argued that the Palestinian claim to refugee status is treated differently from other large-scale population displacements in modern history, while also blaming Hamas for diverting aid and infrastructure in Gaza toward military purposes instead of civilian development.

Hanson began by pointing to attacks on Jewish communities around the world and the removal of Jews from Arab countries after Israel’s creation.

"There have been many. I think most people know that they've been slaughtering Jews in Argentina. They've been slaughtering Jews in Europe. They slaughtered Jews in vacation in Egypt. They slaughtered them everywhere. They ethnically cleansed almost a million of them between the 1948 and 1973 war. They had been there for eight, 900 years in North Africa and most of the Arab countries," Hanson said.

He then contrasted the Palestinian refugee issue with other examples of displacement, arguing that other populations did not preserve refugee status across generations in the same way.

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"It's very weird about the Palestinians. They claim that they're refugees. If anybody can find anybody else who tells me they're a refugee from 1947, I would like to know," Hanson said.

Hanson cited Germans displaced from former territories after World War II and Cypriots who lost land following Turkish control of northern Cyprus.

"I mean, when Poland was recreated. That was the end of East Prussia, and 12 million Germans had to walk back to Germany. 2 million died of starvation. When I go to Germany today, I don't see any Germans waving the little keys to their apartment building in Danzig and saying, "I'm a refugee. I'm a refugee."

He continued with Cyprus.

"I don't see Cypriots. I've been to Cyprus twice. They had 40% of their land taken by Turkey, and they had the two most beautiful cities. If you, if you, I mean, Nicosia, the part that they took was the most beautiful part. But Bella Pais, it was one of the most beautiful cities in the Mediterranean."

Hanson also pointed to Jewish families expelled from cities across the Middle East, arguing that their displacement receives less attention.

"I don't see Jews in Israel in their 90s saying, "Well, my family lived in Damascus for 800 years, and they kicked me out and took my property. My family lived in Cairo. They cooked, kicked me out, and took my property. My family lived in Beirut. They kicked me out, took my property. My family lived in Baghdad. They took, kicked us out, and took our property. My family lived all over the Middle East."

He argued that the Palestinian issue has been framed differently for decades.

"Nobody talks about that. It's only the Palestinians who created that this victimized group that alone can claim that for 1947 dash eight, basically they're they are saying for 78 years we are victims, and we don't know what to do."

Hanson then turned to Gaza, arguing that Israel’s withdrawal created an opportunity for economic development.

"They ethnically cleansed themselves. The Jews did 20,000 of them in 2006, and they didn't want your country at all in Gaza. They took everybody out, and they left hundreds of millions of dollars of sophisticated greenhouses and an entire infrastructure to create and continue a lucrative shipping of winter vegetables to Europe."

He said that infrastructure was later looted and that international aid was diverted rather than used to build Gaza’s economy.

"And what did you do? American philanthropic people and agencies, mostly Jewish, bought it, handed it over to you, and you looted it, and then you turned 40 to $50 billion that was given to you to build something like Dubai, with not one Jew in it," Hanson said.

He also argued that Gaza continued to depend on Israeli supplies of fuel, water, and electricity.

"Except you did demand that the Jews give you 15 to 30% of your fuel, your water, and your electricity, which they did in some cases 60 and 70%," Hanson said.

Hanson then blamed Hamas for taking control through violence and intimidation after elections.

"They have their Gaza country now, and they voted in Hamas. But what? How did Hamas went? When they went around the entire Gaza city structure. Any time they saw a Palestinian authority activist, they threw him off the roof. They killed about 200 of them, and then they bullied everybody, and they got elected."

He said Hamas then promoted itself as an alternative to corruption.

"And they said, "We're not corrupt. We're Islamist purists.""

According to Hanson, the next two decades saw large amounts of international aid redirected toward weapons and military infrastructure.

"And then for the next 20 years, they took 40 to $50 billion when they got pipes imported for plumbing and sophisticated; they made rockets out of them. When they got bulldozers and tunnel drilling, did they drill septic tanks and sewage? No, they built tunnels for military operations."

Hanson concluded by pointing to the scale of Hamas’s tunnel network.

"They built 500 miles of tunnels, spent a couple of billion dollars, and we're supposed to be sympathetic that they're refugees."

Victor Davis Hanson with the uncomfortable truth

“They ethnically cleansed almost a million Jews from Arab countries between 1948–1973. No one talks about that. But only the Palestinians still claim ‘refugee’ status 78 years later. When Poland was recreated, 12 million Germans walked back to Germany. Two million died. You don’t see Germans today waving keys to apartments in Danzig screaming ‘I’m a refugee.’ Cypriots lost 40% of their land to Turkey. Jews from Damascus, Cairo, Baghdad, the Gulf — kicked out, property stolen. None of them still play the eternal refugee card. Israel left Gaza in 2005 with hundreds of millions in greenhouses and infrastructure. What did they do? Looted it. Took $40–50 billion in aid… and built rockets and 500 miles of tunnels instead of a real state. We’re supposed to feel sorry for people who chose this path?” History is not a buffet. You don’t get to pick only the victimhood that serves you. — Mossad Customer Support (@LionOfJudahX) November 1, 2026

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