What lasting effect has the 1948 Arab-Israeli War had on the Middle East? Egypt and Israel continue to fight over the Sinai Peninsula. Islamists and secularists continue to fight for control of Palestine. Sunnis and Shi'ites both claim territory in Israel. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have no homeland.

The 1948 Arab-Israeli War had many lasting impacts on the Middle East. The war changed the face of the region and laid the basis for fomenting conflict for decades to come. A major impact of the war were the tens of thousands of Palestinians who fled Palestine fearing violence and persecution. Today, the number of Palestinian refugees is in the millions with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, the West Bank, and in countries across the globe. These individuals are denied their right of return as classified by the United Nations.