This myth, propagated to justify the Zionist project, falsely portrays pre-1948 Palestine as sparsely populated and ripe for Jewish settlement. Pappe dismantles this claim, illustrating a vibrant Palestinian society deeply rooted in the land. He argues that this deliberate erasure of Palestinian presence served to legitimize their dispossession.

This myth characterizes the 1948 war as a spontaneous conflict where both sides were equally responsible. Pappe presents compelling evidence to the contrary, arguing that the Palestinian exodus, known as the Nakba, was a calculated act of ethnic cleansing, planned and executed by Zionist leaders. He exposes the systematic expulsion of Palestinians and the destruction of their villages, challenging the narrative of a war with no perpetrators or victims.

This myth, long considered the only viable path to peace, is exposed as untenable by Pappe. He argues that fifty years of occupation, settlement expansion, and the fragmentation of Palestinian territory have rendered a contiguous, sovereign Palestinian state impossible. He posits that the two-state solution, once a potential solution, now serves as a guise for perpetuating the status quo of occupation and inequality.