Questions 17 to 19 are based on the following passage. More ink has been spilled during the last half century in discussing the origins of the refugee problem than on any other aspect of the conflict, with each side presenting its version of history. The last few years have seen the issue crystallize around a number of positions. Although Palestinian scholars, the refugees themselves and a small contingent of Western scholars have highlighted the coerced nature of the 1948 refugee exodus, Israeli officials continue to reject any Israeli responsibility for the expulsion of Palestinians from what became Israel. Until a decade ago this stance was shared unanimously by Israeli intellectuals and academics, some of whom have lately begun to question the official version promoted by successive Israeli governments. This questioning came about because of four factors. First, mounting evidence, enhanced by the availability of declassified official Israeli sources, confirmed Israel's role in the expulsion of Palestinian refugees. Second, the success of the Zionist project of state-building brought about a degree of self-confidence that encouraged a limited number of Israeli intellectuals to engage in soul-searching and entertain criticism of their country's conduct in the 1948 war. Third, the academic face of social science and historical research in Israel underwent significant change with the entry of a younger generation of scholars who were more receptive to critical theory and methodology and who, unlike the old guard, were not part of the established Orientalist school of historical research. Fourth, the Oslo agreement between the Palestinians and Israel put several issues on the table for final-status negotiations. It became apparent after many rounds of talks that the fate of the Palestinian refugees was central to resolving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, prompting policymakers and academics to examine the various facets of the refugee problem. Overall, however, Israeli and Palestinian official versions still present diametrically opposing views of what happened in 1948. The Palestinian position is reiterated in a paper put out by the Palestinian Authority, and the official Israeli position is stated in a government background paper. As expected, the Palestinian position puts the blame on Israel for creating the refugee problem, and the Israeli position attributes the creation of the problem to the Palestinians themselves and to Arab governments.17. The coerced nature of the 1948 refugee exodus was denied by __________.