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Who Are Palestinian Refugees? by Terry M Rempel

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Who Are Palestinian Refugees? by Terry M Rempel FMR 26 PALESTINIAN DISPLACEMENT Who are Palestinian refugees? by Terry M Rempel Three-quarters of the Palestinian people are displaced. “By far the most protracted and Approximately one in three refugees worldwide is largest of all refugee problems in the Palestinian. More than half are displaced outside world today is that of the Palestine refugees, whose plight dates back the borders of their historic homeland. 57 years. The UN General Assembly’s Resolution 181 of November 1947 Despite international recognition n While voluntary repatriation recommending the partition of of the gravity of the problem, remains in principle and in practice Palestine led to armed clashes there remains a considerable lack the primary durable solution between Arabs and Jews. The conflict, of popular knowledge and/or for refugees worldwide, Israel which lasted from November 1947 to misinformation about the world’s – as the state of origin for the July 1949, led to the expulsion or flight largest refugee population. A recent majority of the refugees – and of some 750,000-900,000 people study of TV news coverage of the key members of the international from Palestine, the vast majority of Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the UK community, including the them Arabs. The General Assembly’s discovered that most British viewers US and the European Union, subsequent Resolution 194 of were unaware that Palestinians were continue to view host country December 1948 stating that those uprooted from their homes and land integration and resettlement as ‘refugees wishing to return to their when Israel was established in 1948. the primary durable solutions homes and live in peace with their for Palestinian refugees. neighbours should be permitted to Many of those familiar with the do so at the earliest practicable date, Palestinian case tend, as the authors Palestinians and Israelis both make and that compensation should be paid of a working paper developed by claims about the uniqueness of for the property of those choosing the Refugee Studies Centre for the Palestinian refugees. Many Israelis, not to return and for loss or damage UK Department of International for example, claim that the separate to property,’ was never implemented. Development (DFID) noted, “to regime established for Palestinian Israel refused to allow the repatriation see them as a case apart from other refugees (combined with the of Arab refugees, most of whose refugees in the region and, indeed, the reluctance of Arab host states to villages had been destroyed.” global context generally.”2 This can be resettle the refugees who cannot “UNHCR’s mandate does not extend ascribed, in part, to the contentious exercise their right of return) prevents to the majority of Palestinian refugees debate that envelops this refugee a solution to the long-standing by virtue of Paragraph 7 (c) of the question, particularly the right of refugee problem. Palestinians argue organization’s Statute which excludes return. It is also due to the unique that while the UN continues to affirm, persons who continue to receive from aspects of Palestinian displacement: in principle, the right of Palestinian other organs or agencies of the United refugees to return to their homes of Nations protection or assistance. n The UN General Assembly origin, member states have failed A similar provision excludes these Resolution 181 of 1947 to muster the political and material refugees from the scope of the recommending the partition of resources that have made refugee 1951 UN Refugee Convention.” Mandate Palestine into two states return possible in other contexts. contributed to the initial forced displacement of Palestinians. The State of the World’s Refugees Root causes of displacement 2006, UNHCR Chapter 51 n The universally-accepted definition of a ‘refugee’ – Article Israelis and Palestinians, generally 1A (2) of the 1951 Convention speaking, do not agree on the root The rival nature of Israeli and relating to the Status of Refugees causes of Palestinian displacement. Palestinian narratives can be – does not apply to the majority Many Israelis argue that Palestinians explained, in large part, by concerns of Palestinian refugees. fled during the 1948 war on orders about future refugee claims. Many of Arab commanders or that the Israeli Jews, for example, worry that n The UN established separate mass displacement of the local Arab an Israeli admission of responsibility international agencies (UNCCP population was simply, in the words will strengthen Palestinian demands and UNRWA – see below) to of Israeli historian Benny Morris, for a right of return and for provide protection and assistance the unfortunate by-product of a housing and property restitution. and to seek durable solutions war foisted upon the new Jewish Nevertheless, archival research by for this refugee population state. Palestinians, on the other Israeli historians like Morris, Tom based on principles elaborated hand, describe 1948 as the Nakba Segev, Avi Shlaim and Ilan Pappe has in relevant UN resolutions. (catastrophe) during which they were tended to affirm central tenets of the expelled by Israeli military forces Palestinian narrative of the 1948 war n Most Palestinians today are both and fled in fear, hoping to return to previously documented by Palestinian refugees and stateless persons. their homes once hostilities ceased. researchers such as Qustantin Zurayk, 6 PALESTINIAN DISPLACEMENT FMR 26 ‘Arif al-‘Arif and Walid Khalidi and first generation refugees – those carry out its mandate in the context of in the oral testimonies of Palestinians actually displaced in 1948 and in a protracted conflict. The Commission who lived through the war. 1967 – Palestinians advocated an reached the conclusion that it was inclusive or expanded definition unable to fulfill its mandate due to Historical records – corroborated by that included children and spouses the lack of international political will. UN and Red Cross archives – paint of refugees, and others in refugee- Today it has no budget and no staff. a picture of military practices that like conditions, including those were, at best, questionable under deported from the OPT by Israel, Most Palestinian refugees fall under existing principles governing persons who were abroad at the time the scope of Article 1D of the 1951 the laws of war. Just before his of hostilities and unable to return, Refugee Convention, which was assassination by Jewish extremists in individuals whose residency rights inserted during the drafting process September 1948, Count Folke of the Convention to address Bernadotte, the UN Mediator there is no comprehensive the specific circumstances of for Palestine, reported Palestinian refugees. This took “large-scale pillaging and definition of a Palestinian refugee note of the fact that the UN had plundering, and instances of already set up specific agencies to destruction of villages without Israel revoked and those who were protect and assist this refugee group. apparent military necessity.” Even not displaced but had lost access Only those Palestinians displaced for so, Pappe writes that the existence of to their means of livelihood. the first time after 1967 fall within a master plan to expel Palestinians the scope of Article 1A (2) of the is irrelevant: what mattered was This disagreement is exacerbated Convention because they are not “the formulation of an ideological by the fact that there is no covered by the mandate of another community, in which every member, comprehensive definition of a UN agency. Nevertheless, Article 1D whether a newcomer or a veteran, Palestinian refugee. The most of the 1951 Refugee Convention is knows only too well that they commonly cited definition is that commonly misapplied in Palestinian have to contribute to a recognised used by the UN Relief and Works asylum cases around the world. formula: the only way to fulfill the Agency for Palestine Refugees in dream of Zionism is to empty the the Near East (UNRWA), the UN land of its indigenous population.” agency set up in 1949 – two years How many refugees are there? prior to the formation of UNHCR While the displacement of – to provide relief and assistance Not surprisingly, Israelis and Palestinians from the West Bank to the refugees in the West Bank, Palestinians fail to agree on the and Gaza Strip during and after the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and number of Palestinian refugees. 1967 war can be ascribed to a similar Syria. Unlike Article 1A (2) of the This is further complicated by pattern of violations, the debate about 1951 Refugee Convention, however, lack of a universally-accepted why Palestinians fled in subsequent the UNRWA definition merely refugee definition, a comprehensive wars is arguably less contentious establishes criteria for assistance – it registration system and frequent because prospective remedies does not define refugee status. A UN migration. But it also relates to – e.g. return to the 1967 Occupied initiative in the 1980s to issue identity security and political concerns Palestinian Territories (OPT) – do not cards to all refugees, irrespective of in host countries like Jordan and challenge the sovereignty and nature whether or not they were recipients Lebanon, fears about repatriation of Israel as a Jewish state. That is not of international aid, failed due to the in the country of origin (Israel) and to say that Israelis and Palestinians lack of cooperation among host states. international concerns about capacity agree on remedies for refugees from to deliver services and the
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