In the mid-1970′s Israel attempted to give the Palestinian Arab refugees in Gaza new and better housing. The U.N. General Assembly, at the urging of the Arab states, passed Resolution 32/90 condemning Israel for trying to relocate these refugees and demanded they be returned “to the camps in which they were removed.” And yet, a senior U.N. official came to Gaza in January 1988 accompanied by 10 TV crews on a fact-finding visit and laid the entire blame for the situation at Israel’s feet. As if the U.N.’s own complicity in the matter didn’t exist!

I’d rather like to see Israel invite Sherwood to a televised debate which should then be posted on YouTube. Douglas Murray might be a good choice as opponent. Let’s all have the pleasure of seeing her tested on the subject she is paid to report on.

Meanwhile, there are several articles doing the rounds on the Tel Aviv demonstrations but none that I know of offer up the perspectives present in this one. As a result of reading them I feel the status of those in question has been – shall we say – flexible. Are they immigrants, illegal immigrants or refugees?

And today, we have the Christians everywhere in ancient Christian but now conquered islamic lands. In March alone, close to 100,000 Christians fled Egypt to save their lives. They lost everything also.

BENYAMIN: What a lie you are propagating. Haven’t you read the history books? Or are you just swallowing everything you hear without checking the facts first?

The Arabs living in Israel fled because their arab neighbours promised them they could return in two weeks after all the Jews had been killed. Arab hatred for all Jews is so intense (qur’an) that they willingly give up their children as suicide bombers. WAKE UP!

Hello – the main problem – or one of the many – is that UNWRA does not have a brief to provide/ create jobs for the refugees . In Lebanon for instance refugees are debarred from certain jobs and denied full civil rights.

Under the International Refugees code and practice refugees have the right to protection. The UNHCR has made it a policy foundation that the settlement of the conflict which sparked the refugee crisis is the main aim – thus preparing the way for return. From this springs the ‘final settlement’ response which effectively ignores the refugees in the present time.

Long standing refugee problems in Africa foir instance were solved by UNHCR – quotas were agreed with different countries and offers of resettlement were made. Some refugees returned to their own countries – not all.

It is accepted that refugees must be given a choice in where they go – the head of household is interviewed – if s/he is offered resettlement the family are then included.

The Palestinians – along with some other people in long standing camps – have now , almost by default , been granted refugee status for the third and even fourth generation. For as long as they have neither citizenship nor protection this will continue.

We need to remember that the ‘rules’ were established in post WW2 situation – people in camps across Europe for instance were resettled within a matter of a few years.

My view is that until there is a genuine international effort to sort the refugee problem – which means re-examining certain assumptions and practices – there will be no solution. Why for instance, is somebody born in Lebanon 40 years ago still regarded as Palestinian ? The simple answer is because he has no other identity which affords him amd his family protection.

We need a three way solution – limited RoR, resettlement in third countries and the granting of citizenship and full civil rights in those countries currently hosting refugees.

This would not only solve the very human problems the contiuing crisis generates but would also allow for the more constructive allocation and use of funds.

We would no longer simply be supporting an unsustainable and growing problem.

We need to support the refugees outside the context of the continuing dispute .

Leni

I think that a good 90% of fellow Israelis would fail to understand why a mother would want to build a family in an illegal settlement outside the Jewish state, when you can have children and raise them in Israel.