▁or ▁claim ing ▁their ▁property . ▁They ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁their ▁descend ants ▁remain ▁refuge es . ▁The ▁flight ▁and ▁exp ulsion ▁of ▁the ▁Palest ini ans ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁widely , ▁and ▁controvers ial ly , ▁described ▁as ▁having ▁involved ▁eth nic ▁cle ans ing . ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁growing ▁cons ensus ▁between ▁Isra eli ▁and ▁Palest in ian ▁histor ians , ▁exp ulsion ▁and ▁destruction ▁of ▁villages ▁played ▁a ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁Palest in ian ▁refuge es . ▁E fra im ▁Kar sh , ▁however , ▁states ▁that ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Arab s ▁who ▁fled ▁left ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁accord ▁or ▁were ▁press ured ▁to ▁leave ▁by ▁their ▁fellow ▁Arab s ▁, ▁despite ▁Isra eli ▁attempts ▁to ▁conv ince ▁them ▁to ▁stay . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Israel , ▁the ▁World ▁Z ion ist ▁Organ ization ▁has ▁function ed ▁mainly ▁as ▁an ▁organization ▁dedicated ▁to ▁assist ing ▁and ▁encourag ing ▁Jews ▁to ▁migr ate ▁to ▁Israel . ▁It ▁has ▁provided ▁political ▁support ▁for ▁Israel ▁in ▁other ▁countries ▁but ▁plays ▁little ▁role ▁in ▁internal ▁Isra eli ▁politics . ▁The ▁movement ' s ▁major ▁success ▁since ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁was ▁in ▁providing ▁log ist ical ▁support ▁for ▁migr ating ▁Jews ▁and , ▁most ▁important ly , ▁in ▁assist ing ▁Soviet ▁Jews ▁in ▁their ▁struggle ▁with ▁the ▁authorities ▁over ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁USS R ▁and ▁to ▁practice ▁their ▁religion ▁in ▁freedom , ▁and ▁the ▁ex od us ▁of ▁ 8 5 0 ,