Sure - it's not like Israel was empty. But then - it's not like the Zionists came in guns blazing. They bought Tel Aviv, and then when open warfare was declared they kicked ass. The whole "we were here first" angle kinda went to shit in 1948 anyway, considering the argument was being made against the very Jews whose land and property and freedom and very lives were confiscated by Europe.

It's funny. Piketty makes the point that inherited wealth took a breather in the 20th century because WWI and WWII annihilated it all. He very pointedly does not point out how much of that wealth is Jewish. He also points out that having land was pretty much what made you aristocracy in Europe... but very much doesn't point out that the Jews weren't allowed to own land.

Let's be clear: the Israelis are doing to the Palestinians what the United States did to the Apache. Golda Maier and Ben Gurion both made this point. The "Palestinians", however, have become a rallying point for Arabs of all stripes - Shia, Sunni, Wahabi, you name it. So the actuality of the Palestinians takes a back seat to the idea of the Palestinians.

Like I said, Yasser Arafat was Egyptian.