left for numerous reasons. The war's outcome had exacerbated Arab hostilities to local Jewish communities. News of the victory aroused messianic expectations in Libya and Yemen; Zionism had taken root in many countries; active incentives for making aliyah formed a key part of Israeli policy; and better economic prospects and security were to be expected from a Jewish state. Some Arab governments, Egypt, for example, held their Jewish communities hostage at times. Persecution, political instability, and news of a number of violent pogroms also played a role. Some 800,000–1,000,000 Jews eventually left the Arab world over the next three decades as a result of these various factors. An estimated 650,000 of the departees settled in Israel. Historiography After the war, Israeli and Palestinian historiographies differed on the interpretation of the events of 1948: in the West the majority view was of a tiny group of vastly outnumbered and ill-equipped Jews fighting off the massed strength of the invading Arab armies; it was also widely believed that the Palestinian Arabs left their homes on the instruction of their leaders. From 1980, with the opening of the Israeli and British archives, some Israeli historians have developed a different account of the period. In particular, the role played by Abdullah I of Jordan, the British government, the Arab aims during the war, the balance of force and the events related to the Palestinian exodus have been nuanced or given new interpretations. Some of them are still hotly debated among historians and commentators of the conflict today. In popular culture A 2015 PBS documentary, A Wing and a Prayer, depicts the Al Schwimmer-led airborne smuggling missions to arm Israel. The film Cast a Giant Shadow tells the story of an American colonel who was instrumental in the Israeli victory. See also List of battles and operations in the 1948 Palestine war List of modern conflicts in the Middle East Notes References Bibliography Works by involved parties Dunkelman, Ben (1976) Dual Allegiance: An Autobiography. Macmillan Company of Canada, Toronto. Kagan, Benjamin (1966) The Secret Battle for Israel. World Publishing, Cleveland. Lorch, Netanel (1961) The Edge of the Sword: Israel's War of Independence, 1947-1949. New York, London: G. P. Putnam's Sons Secondary sources Adrian, Nathan (2004). Britain, Israel and Anglo-Jewry 1949–57. Routledge Aloni, Shlomo (2001). Arab-Israeli Air Wars 1947–82. Osprey Publishing. Beckman, Morris (1999). The Jewish Brigade: An Army With Two Masters, 1944–45. Sarpedon Publishers. Ben-Ami,