The Solution to the Arab Refugee Problem from Planck's Constant

Photo by: Wiki

From December 1947 to March 1948 approximately 100,000 Arabs fled what is now Israel to the borders of the surrounding Arab states. Most were better off Arabs from the cities, who left voluntarily expecting to return after the Arab League removed the pesky Jews from the country.

But that did not happen. Worse for them, Israel declared Independence on 14 May 1948 and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War started resulting in another 750,000 Arabs finding themselves heading for Arab states.

In response to the experience of WWII, the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948 adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Among its articles was this:

Article 13:
Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

Everyone has the right to leave any country, including their own, and to return to their country.

Well, this sounds like something that would be good for Arab refugees. So who do you think voted against this resolution? Would you believe, all the Arab League members at the time: Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen. ¹

There may be two reasons for this: one - they did not want the Jews they expelled to be able to return; two - they did not want Arab refugees to return to Israeli territory. If Arab refugees disappeared, they could no longer be used as pawns in the war against Israel.

In the case of Lebanon it is quite clear that the Lebanese government never wanted the refugees to leave their tent cities. Of the hundreds of thousands of refugees who left Israel, about 60,000 ended up in Lebanon in refugee camps where they have remained for more than 6 decades without the right to work, to own property, or to leave the camps without special permits. They now number more than 400,000.

Perhaps reality is setting in; after 62 years, after 4 generations of Arab refugees have lived in squalid camps, Lebanon's parliament has finally passed a law allowing Arab refugees to work legally. ².

It might surprise some of my readers to learn that the Jordan has 5 times as many Palestinians yet we never read of rocket attacks coming from that country. The answer might be because Jordan granted most of the Palestinian refugees citizenship in 1950. The percentage of Palestinians living in refugee camps in the Jordan compared to those who were absorbed into the fabric of the country is the lowest among all of the refugee camps in the Arab world.

Had all members of the Arab league allowed the refugees to become citizens of their host countries there would not be a continuing conflict today, there would be no Hamas, no Hezbollah and no call for a fake Palestinian state. Arabs were given an Arab state alongside Israel back in 1947. They turned it down. Instead of plowshares they picked up the sword. The choice of having their own state? That ship has sailed.

It is time for all Arab countries who still keep their refugees in a state of misery, homelessness, and statelessness to allow them to work, own property, and become citizens of their host countries. That's the solution to the Arab Refugee Problem. There is no Palestinian State, never was, never will be.

Notes

(1):

Wiki, Palestinian views
all Arab League members at the time- Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen- voted against the resolution,[46]

(2):

BBC News, 17 Aug 2010, Lebanon grants Palestinian refugees right to work
There are an estimated 400,000 Palestinians living in Lebanon and, given its delicate sectarian balance, their status is a sensitive issue.
Many are still living in camps where conditions are dire.

But the law is unlikely to transform their lives, as they will not be able to work in the public sector or for certain professions, nor buy property.

To meet objections from a number of Christian factions, the legislation was heavily diluted from the version proposed earlier in the summer by the Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt.

The proposal to accord Palestinians the right to buy property aroused fierce opposition from those nervous that it might lead eventually to the permanent settlement of Palestinians in Lebanon.

Under the new law, Palestinians will have the right to claim free work permits for employment in the private sector.

They will also be able to claim cover for work-related accidents and retirement indemnities from their own social security fund, to which they will pay contributions while working.

This marks a step forward from a situation where the Palestinians were barred from all but the most menial of jobs.

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