# Land-stealing (Play Nice!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2007, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-stealing-play-nice/428416 "2007-12-01T02:59:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-stealing-play-nice/428416/21 "2007-12-04T23:44:51Z")
This discussion would not be complete without mention of the massive expulsion and confiscation of property of Jews by Arabs and other Muslims in the previous century: “The Jewish exodus from Arab lands refers to the 20th century expulsion or mass departure of Jews, primarily of Sephardi and Mizrahi background, from Arab and Islamic countries. The rate of emigration accelerated after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. According to United Nations statistics, 856,000 Jewish residents fled their homes after 1948.” [Cite.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_exodus_from_Arab_lands) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-stealing-play-nice/428416/22 "2007-12-05T02:17:52Z")
Please excuse my absence. My internet has been down. Thank you for the interesting comments. Perhaps my OP is wrong. Is the taking of private land by armed force more common than I thought? Is it legally permissible to transfer private land ownership by conquest? As an American, I am not used to the idea. (Yes, I know, American Indians.) Certainly the flag in front of the post office changes, but does the title to a farm or house change? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-stealing-play-nice/428416/23 "2007-12-05T03:02:39Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Please excuse my absence. My internet has been down. Thank you for the interesting comments. Perhaps my OP is wrong. Is the taking of private land by armed force more common than I thought? Is it legally permissible to transfer private land ownership by conquest? As an American, I am not used to the idea. (Yes, I know, American Indians.) Certainly the flag in front of the post office changes, but does the title to a farm or house change? [/QUOTE] Yep. When the flag changes, the title changes. Don’t make it right. Just happens. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-stealing-play-nice/428416/24 "2007-12-05T03:20:19Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Perhaps my OP is wrong. Is it legally permissible to transfer private land ownership by conquest? [/QUOTE] As I pointed out earlier, international law does not recognize conquest as a means for a state to acquire territory. With respect to these individuals, > [@](#): > > In 1948 the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 194 on the Question of Palestine, which “resolves that refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return…” > **[Israel, Palestine and the Occupied Territories:](https://archive.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/israel-palestine/returnindex.htm)** > > Global Policy Forum is a policy watchdog that follows the work of the United Nations. We promote accountability and citizen participation in decisions on peace and security, social justice and international law. > [@](#): > > Is the taking of private land by armed force more common than I thought? It’s probably more common than _I_ thought, if that helps. This is a different question than the one above. > [@](#): > > Certainly the flag in front of the post office changes, but does the title to a farm or house change? I think this is usually dealt with by treaty when property is acquired. The right of return is another bit of international law that deals with private property rights of refugees. The resolution that created Israel says: > [@](#): > > No expropriation of land owned by an Arab in the Jewish State (by a Jew in the Arab State)(4) shall be allowed except for public purposes. In all cases of expropriation full compensation as fixed by the Supreme Court shall be said previous to dispossession. [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace%20Process/Guide%20to%20the%20Peace%20Process/UN%20General%20Assembly%20Resolution%20181](http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace%20Process/Guide%20to%20the%20Peace%20Process/UN%20General%20Assembly%20Resolution%20181) Does this help at all? ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-stealing-play-nice/428416/25 "2007-12-05T18:03:10Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] Yep. When the flag changes, the title changes. Don’t make it right. Just happens. [/QUOTE] In some cases, land owner rights are preserved when deals are cut to end wars. The case I am familiar with are Spanish land grants which are still held by decendants of those granted the land by the King of Spain, in New Mexico (part of the USA) There is incentive to do such, as insurections tend to be very messy, and it is generally cheaper and more effective to placate and assimilate the residents than to try to control them by force. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-stealing-play-nice/428416/26 "2007-12-06T12:12:57Z")
My ISP went down again. Thank you all again. Let me see if the other discussion has calmed down. I intend to make a good-faith effort to let sleeping dogs lie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-stealing-play-nice/428416.md?page=1)