The Effects of the 1948 Arab Israeli War on Palestinians

The Effects of the 1948 Arab Israeli war Palestinian history and geography by on Palestinians: demolishing all the houses, reshaping The Arab Israeli War in 1948 borderlines and building Jewish Kibbutz obliterated the Palestinian landscape, (farms) on top of these ruins.iii destroyed 531 villages, uprooted 800,000 people, and resulted in millions of The Refugee Problem:

Palestinian refugees and internally displaced On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel i persons (IDP). Jewish military forces such was created establishing a Jewish national as Haganah, Irgun and Stern Gang instilled home. Although 1948 is known as Israeli fear in Arab villagers as a tactic used to Independence Day, Palestinians depopulate villages in order to create a commemorate 1948 as the Nakba

Jewish National home. This was done (Catastrophe). Ilan Pappe, an Israeli through means of cleansing and harassing Historian at Haifa University, in his book, eventually leading to a total expulsion from The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine asserts their homeland. Several massacres in that Palestinians were victims of the 1948 villages such as Dawaymeh, Sa’sa and Deir ethnic cleansing operation.iv Pappe refers to

Yassin were horrific to the extent that UN High Commissioner for Refugees babies’ skulls were cracked open, men were (UNCHR) definition of ethnic cleansing killed and women were raped and burned which includes ‘separation of men from ii alive in front of their families. In 1948, the women, detention of men, explosion of village of Sa’sa, fifteen inhabitants was houses’ and subsequently repopulating the slaughtered including five children. Many remaining houses with another ethnic were left injured. Israeli air attacks caused group.”v As a result, this is what occurred in collateral damage to many villages, erasing historic Palestine. The Israeli government

evicted the indigenous Arab population, by breaking up families and social relations, destroying their villages and creating Jewish settlements or natural forests.vi Arabs were resettled in camps in neighboring countries and were prevented repatriation because

Israel felt that if they accept the return of refugee,s it would politically destabilize the

Jewish state.vii Pappe stated that in 1948,

“85% of the Palestinians living in the areas that became the state of Israel became Figure1.1 refugees. It is estimated that there were more http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/images/refuge.jpg than 7 million Palestinian refugees and Rashidiyya Camp: displaced persons at the beginning of Although Jewish armed forces 2003.”viii Most of the refugees were expelled attempted to erase Palestinian geography by to Jordanian and Lebanese camps such as renaming Arab villages to Hebrew names, Naher al-Bared, a refugee camp near Tripoli constructing new Israeli towns, factories and Lebanon, Rashidiyya camp near Tyre, and farms and replacing mosques with nature Shatila Camp in Southern Lebanon as figure parks in efforts to instill Jewish nationalism, 1.1 shows.ix Palestinian refugees continue to hold

attachments to their homeland by reshaping

their national and cultural identity in their

everyday practices in hope for a possible

return to their birthplace.x For instance, it is common for older generations to share their stories with their grandchildren of how life was like for a Palestinian before 1948. Oral history does not only act as a tool of memory for older crowds, but it creates the child’s national identity. Figure1.2http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2 012/03/23/252716-palestinian-girls-walk-past-a-graffiti-at- dehaishe refugee-camp-in-bet.jpg Rashidiyya Camp in Lebanon is a Geographer Adam Ramadan in his perfect case in point. The camp’s physical article, “A Refugee Landscape: Writing landscape signifies the growth of Palestinian Palestinian Nationalism in Lebanon,” nationalism in refugee camps. Palestinians gathers evidence of several Palestinian express their hope to return to their homes camps, including Rashdiyya camp, through by displaying murals, posters and flags intense readings of these landscapes. He which clearly portrays their attempts to shows a few images that portray how produce and reproduce Palestinian national Palestinians reproduced their national identity.xi For example figure 1.2 shows the identity. Figure 1.3 is a prime example. This rise of Palestinian activism in camps with image stood out on one of the central roads the use of graffiti art on camp walls that into the upper part of Rashdiyya camp in state, “Freedom for Palestine” which clearly Southern Lebanon on June 11, 2005 that designates how art can spark the growth of states, ‘no homeland for the Palestinian nationalism. people except Palestine.’xii This catchphrase

is written within the borders of a Palestinian

flag, while Yasser Arafat, Palestinian former

President, looks at the Dome of the Rock in Militant political activist groups such as the

Jerusalem.xiii This illustration symbolizes the PLO attempted to liberate the homeland desire for repatriation. It also recreates from Israel’s control.xv Martyrs among this national memory for the refugees. In the group were honored on camp walls through perspective of Palestinian refugees, the posters or graffiti drawings. Another camp is only temporary as they wait to example is the symbolic image of the return to their homes. However, regardless Kuffeiyah (figure 1.4), which was a of this, the camp’s physical landscape headscarf initially worn by Palestinian created a mini-homeland which helped fellahin (peasants) before 1948. However, refugees to create a sense of belonging.xiv the kuffeiyeh now holds a more national

significance than cultural.

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Figure 1.3 Adam Ramadan, “A Refugee Landscape: Figure 1.4 A kuffiyeh is a symbol of Palestinian Writing Palestinian Nationalisms in Lebanon,” School of nationalism. Its colors black and white are linked Geography, Oxford: University of Oxford, 70. with Fatah, a Palestinian political activist group. Palestinian refugees usually hold

onto their old house keys as a way of Another method used to reproduce remembering their identity and homes. Palestinian identity was the establishment of Ramadan states, “A key (an important nationalist movements such as the PLO symbol of the lost home, keys from (Palestinian Liberation Organization)

Palestine have been saved a venerated by describe the beauty of Palestine to her many Palestinians in exile until today), the children as though it looked like heaven and map (the lost homeland) and the word expressed the fact they, too, were

‘intifada’ (uprising) holds the key to the Palestinians.xviii It is important to note,

Palestinians’ return to their however, that reproducing Palestinian homeland.”xviNot only does this image national identity by reforming the camp’s symbolize the desire for repatriation, but the landscape was not to divert Palestinian key is also used as evidence that this refugee refugees from what was realistically once settled in what is now Israel as shown happening, the loss of homes, lives, the in figure 1.5.xvii harsh conditions and violence Palestinians

faced as a result of the Nakba.xix

Nevertheless, the visuals of these repeated

symbols indicate that this space is Palestine

and it automatically turns into a national

space regardless if this it is under Lebanese

rule. It also instills the thought that they are

Figure1.5 Palestinian. Finally, it sparks a nationalist http://3.bp.blogspot.com/gfbEg9M4xmE/UFSeOcPbdXI/AAAAAAA cause and movement and that is to return to AAD8/3xhHwehczfQ/s320/Filistin%2Bkey.jpg their origins.xx The camp’s physical landscape reproduces memories of Palestine before The Living Conditions of Refugees in and after 1948. For some, Palestine lives in Lebanon: their memories, but for most Palestine exist By the summer of 1948, in their everyday practices. Mothers used to approximately 250,000 Palestinians were

dispossessed. The number increased to about one million in mid-July.xxi Palestinian refugees traveled across borders to neighboring countries such as Jordan,

Lebanon, and Syria and into the Gaza Strip and West Bank. They commuted by buses, Figure 1.6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_refugees taxis, boats and by foot as shown in figure

1.6.xxii Figure 1.7 and 1.8 evidently show the living conditions of Palestinian refugees in these cramped and unhygienic camps. It was dreadful to the extent that there was extreme poverty, food and water scarcity, power outrages and little outside communication. Figure1.7http://cdn.greenprophet.com/wp-

content/uploads/2011/07/refugee-camp-lebanon-al-jazeera Tents would often have holes, infestation of 560x315.jpg bugs and muddy beds. Barbed wire fences surrounded camps, which were often monitored by Lebanese authorities as though

Palestinians were prisoners. Camp dwellers had to place their names on a list every time they left the camp and were expected to return promptly.xxiii Each tent was the size of a cubicle. Families lacked privacy to the Figure 1.8 degree in which only a blanket separated the http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/12/10/01/2654294/8/628x471.jpg families.xxiv

Lebanese State Restrictions on authorities, Palestinians felt that leaving the

Palestinian Refugees: camps would be the same as erasing their

identity since they felt a connection between The ethnic cleansing of Palestine, in the camps and their right to return to their addition to the severe restrictions imposed homeland. Unfortunately, this was just the by the Lebanese added to the refugee case when Palestinians were forced to leave struggle. Palestinians felt out of place, and the camps in search of an affordable living their identity was often threatened. Not only space when the price of rent increased after were they denied citizenship, but they were Shiite and Syrian workers settled in the confronted with Lebanese checkpoints. The camps. Zeina Halabi, in her article, idea of checkpoints and the role of identity “Exclusion and Identity in Lebanon’s cards was a constant reminder that Palestinian Refugee Camps: A Story of Palestinians were trespassers.xxv Identity was Sustained Conflict,” states “The Palestinian also dynamic. Palestinians who scattered to refugees, therefore, faced an impasse other countries still identified themselves as between Lebanese legislation, which refused Palestinians from categories of place. For them settlement in Lebanon, and the instance, a Palestinian living in Kuwait Palestinian-Israeli peace process, which would be referred to as “Palestinians of refused them the right of return.”xxvii Kuwait.” This clearly implies that Palestinians had no choice, but to remain Palestinian identity relied on space in within the camps. creating their identities.xxvi

Refugees, under Lebanese state Although Palestinians were living legislation, were denied human rights. They under harsh conditions and were were not allowed to access Lebanese public discriminated against by Lebanese

schools. Instead they could only access prostitution. Moreover, expired cans were schools provided by the UNRWA. being sold in markets. Drugs and

Furthermore, Lebanese authorities restricted pornographic magazines were openly sold in

Palestinians from ownership of land and these markets which made them easily housing. Halabi states that under Lebanese accessible to children.xxxii labor laws, Palestinians were considered UN Relief Agencies: “stateless foreigners” and were denied work Although refugees were severely permits and forbidden from working 73 restricted under Lebanese sovereignty, relief professions in Lebanon.xxviii agencies such as UN International In refugee camps, as populations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and increase so did poverty. Some factors that UN Reliefs and Works Agency (UNRWA) led to poverty were relentless restrictions on provided refugees with shelter, medical aid, residency, employment and travel.xxixIt was education and economic opportunities. The common for children to play barefoot in the role of women shifted socially and streets, for unemployed men to spend most politically.xxxiii Peteet stated, “With mass of their time in coffee shops while women schooling, particularly of elementary age were indoors taking care of house children, women’s daily routine began to choresxxx.Unfortunately, Palestinians were revolve around the school schedule. In pre- prone to violence, harassment and insults. 1948 Palestine, women’s time had been Rape accounts grew within the camps, with organized around agricultural labor and the most sexual assaults were committed by production of consumable foodstuffs and young Syrian men.xxxi They also worked in household management and childbearing. sex trade forcing Palestinian women into The daily routine followed a pattern set by

the seasons, the demands of agriculture and imply that their refugee status would be infant care. Preparing children for school permanent. Palestinian refugees continued was another choice added to their daily thinking that the camps were temporary and agenda. Older daughters were called on to that they would soon return to their villages. help in the preparations, which sometimes Current Status of Palestinian exodus: had the effect of reducing their time for The Palestinian exodus still exists school.”xxxiv Women also made friends in today. Palestinians are still confronted with the camp bakeries where they learnt new harsh living conditions under both foreign recipes and interacted with women from rule in refugee camps and under Israeli various camps.xxxv military occupation in the West Bank and Teachers from UNRWA cautiously Gaza Strip. According to UNRWA’s incorporated Palestinian themes in their core statistic of registered refugees, there are over curriculum because they understood that the five million refugees in 58 camps in Jordan, youth were politically active in the Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, and the Gaza Palestinian cause. Schools were also used as Strip. UN relief agencies still provide a means of interaction. It brought children education and health services to refugees. from different villages together, which prior As of January 2012, more than 32,000 to 1948 would have had few chances to refugees in Lebanese camps were enrolled in know each other due to restrictions imposed schools. Palestinian refugees are still waiting by social classes.xxxvi Although UNRWA for repatriation. In the meantime, they are suggested building brick homes, many relying on inadequate supplies as a means of refugees were cynical and thought that survival. Although they are anticipating the improving their living conditions would moment of return, xxxviithe camp’s physical

landscape correlates with Palestinian national and cultural identity and recollections and this continues to motivate

Palestinian refugees to strive for basic human rights.