According to a post on Eye On The World, many Palestinian refugees are disavowing the right of return, while their leaders keep using the issue for political gain and as leverage in negotiations with Israel. The Palestinians interviewed are those who live in Lebanon or outside the Arab world. I wish I could believe the majority of Palestinians aren't really interested in the right of return, but unfortunately, that isn't the case.
While most Palestinians living in western countries may be happy where they are, most Palestinians who are unable to emigrate to Europe and North America and still live in Arab countries that grant them no rights, as well as Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza, still demand a right of return. This would not just be a return to a future Palestinian state (something to which I don't object), but a return to the State of Israel itself, to Haifa, Jaffa, Beersheba and elsewhere. This kind of return is unacceptable to Israelis, regardless of who is responsible for the creation of the refugee problem.
Refugees should be compensated or given the right to return to the future State of Palestine, in accordance with the country's capacity to absorb new immigrants, so as to not cause a collapse of the new state. Return to Israel itself is never going to happen. The million dollar question is whether the Palestinians and Arab states will ever accept this.
A Great Day for *The Atlantic*
2 weeks ago
Why shouldn't Palestinians who once lived in the land which is now Israel return to their home villages? You don't explain why.
ReplyDeleteJews in Europe are big fans of Multiculturalism, more immigrants they cry! We are racists if we complain.
Why the double standard boy?
For one thing, the country they left 60 years ago and the country that exists now is not the same one - not only in name, but politically, culturally and in almost every other aspect. Most of the Arab villages don't exist anymore, and most of the Palestinians outside of Israel and the Palestinian territories weren't ever here, having been born elsewhere (sure, where they were born isn't their own fault, but it isn't mine either).
ReplyDeleteSecond of all, I doubt that Palestinians who have been tought to hate Israelis will really live in peace among us. It would become another Kosovo, in need of a strong military presence to prevent chaos. It is enough for a small fraction of the returnees to be militant for that to happen.
I also think that Israel must remain a Jewish state. Israel would be committing suicide if it became Isratine. The two-state solution is the only viable one (and not two states for the Palestinians, which would be the case if the State of Palestine were to be established while the Palestinians are also granted a right to return to Israel).
I'm not a European Jew. You should ask them about the multicultural double standard, not me.
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ReplyDeleteHello there E-Man. Thank you for your comment. I have replied over at Reclaiming Space.
ReplyDeleteExcuse my deletion of previous comment, re-posted with links.
A majority of Jews migrating to Israel were not born there either - fatuous argument.
ReplyDeletePalestinians taught to hate Jews - propaganda, if they hated Jews it seems rather unlikely they would want to live among Jews in a Jewish state. A bald assumption indeed.
Israel must maintain a Jewish state? Where's the logic in that? A state will maintain itself according to the wishes of the people who elect it in a democracy - got a problem with democracy?
Multicultural double standard? Maybe all Jews worldwide should return to Israel, we'll give New York to the Palestinians! (I'm joking of course) but lets face it, a lot of Diaspora Jews are obsessed with Israel. Except the Israeli guy who lives downstairs in my block - he hasn't a good word to say about the place.
Ann's right you know.
A majority of Jews migrating to Israel were not born there either - fatuous argument.
ReplyDeleteIsraelis have a right to choose who will immigrate here, just like any country has a right to accept certain immigrants and reject others.
Palestinians taught to hate Jews - propaganda, if they hated Jews it seems rather unlikely they would want to live among Jews in a Jewish state. A bald assumption indeed.
If they hate the Jews, they'd return here and try to kick us out. It's enough for just a few of the returnees to have that in mind for this country to become a hellhole. Most Israelis aren't willing to take that risk.
Israel must maintain a Jewish state? Where's the logic in that? A state will maintain itself according to the wishes of the people who elect it in a democracy - got a problem with democracy?
A vast majority of Israelis want Israel to remain a Jewish state. Shoving Palestinian return down our throats would be anti-democratic indeed. If one day Arabs would become a majority via natural population growth, or even that a majority of Israeli Jews would no longer want Israel to be Jewish - I wouldn't be happy with that, but it would be a legitimate democratic decision. But right now, other than the 1.2 million Palestinian citizens of Israel, the Palestinians don't get a vote in deciding whether this will be a Jewish state or not, and we'd be crazy to give them any say.
Multicultural double standard?
Just paraphrasing your own words. My point was that I'm not a spokesman for all the Jews of the world (not even Israelis).
Let me ask you this - if the Palestinians get the right of return, where is the compromise? Israelis would pretty much give up all their demands while granting all of the Palestinians' demands. What's in it for the Israelis?
> What's in it for the Israelis?
ReplyDeletePeace one might assume.
> Israelis have a right to choose who will immigrate here.
In a democracy everyone is subservient to the rule of law, ownership is a cornerstone of law. Property must be returned to those who want it back.
> If they hate the Jews, they'd return here and try to kick us out. It's enough for just a few of the returnees to have that in mind for this country to become a hellhole. Most Israelis aren't willing to take that risk.
You have a low opinion of Arabs don't you. My observation is that Diaspora Palestinians seem to be less radical than some who have remained in the PA. Why not let them come and expel them if they misbehave?
The conclusion to your argument is that you don't believe in democracy very much, what you seem to believe in is a (Jewish) theocracy. If your opinions are representative of the majority then I'd suggest Israel drop the moniker "The Only Democracy in the Middle East", just to be more honest really.
Peace can be achieved without the right of return.
ReplyDeleteThe Palestinians don't own the land anymore. They lost it in the 1947-1949 war. Now only the Jews and Arabs who live in Israel have a say in what kind of government it will have.