There is a huge difference in the situation in the middle east prior to 1967 and after 1967.
that is a consequence of the change in arab leadership (which in itself is a misnomer...) such as the death of nasser, rise of despots such as hussein and assad, as well as the occupation of the lands that israel went into.
the common arab who was inside the land that formed the state of israel became a pawn...these are the people we now call "palestinians". They were told by their leadership that the israelis would kill them if they stayed, so they fled, thinking the arab countries would have an easy time defeating the fledgling nation of israel. they were wrong, israel wasn't defeated and the israelis didn't slaughter the common arab either.
after the first war these refugees were ignored by the arabic leadership, left in camps that still exist today. if anyone is to blame for the plight of the palestinians it is the arabs themselves imo.
what many fail to see is that the arabs and the israelis did have an integrated economy for many decades until 67, and even then it was only after the terrorists plied their trade beginning in the 70's did israel react defensively and curtail the easy access to job markets by the palestinians. the infitada has only reinforced the division of the two economies.the israeli economy, especially the agricultural portion, depends on the labor the palestinians provide. it's in many ways similar to the hispanic immigrants in the us.
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