Ludzie pragną czasami się rozstawać, żeby móc tęsknić, czekać i cieszyć się z powrotem.
The resolution recognises that Israel can hardly be expected to absorb a potentially hostile population that might threaten her security.
"…Facilitate the repatriation, resettlement and economic and social rehabilitation of the refugees and the payment of compensation".
Today there are around 3.7 million refugees. The Israeli population is only 6 million. Israel is a small country with limited resources that could not practically absorb a number of people 94 www.wujs.org.il
Israel: Accusations and Rebuttals
equivalent to over 50% of the current population. The resolution allows for resettlement as a viable alternative. Israel supports the resettlement of the refugees in either the countries they have lived in for over 50 years, or in a Palestinian state. Israel has always accepted that it would absorb a small number of refugees judged on an individual basis but more than this is not practical.
"Compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible".
Israel has accepted that it will aid the refugees and offer some compensation but Israel cannot accept total responsibility for the creation of the refugee problem (see above). The Arab states must also accept some measure of responsibility and should therefore be bound by this resolution.
Diverse Opinions
The question of why the Palestinian Arabs left in 1947-1949 has been the subject of much recent scholarship. Conventional opinion said that all of the Arab civilians left voluntarily. They were
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generally instructed to leave by their own leadership. By contrast Arab historians have accused Israel of expelling local residents or of causing them to flee in fear of their lives. Recently a school of "new historians" has emerged in Israel. They have suggested a greater culpability by Israel in the creation of the refugee problem. The most reasonable conclusion is that there were cases of expulsion and some people fled in fear of their lives. In many cases the fear was built up by propaganda from the Arab leadership. There is ample evidence that Arab leadership did encourage and instruct many people to leave, promising them that they would be able to return shortly, once the Jews were defeated. It is important to acknowledge that all these opinions exist within Israel.
What's in a Word?
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'Palestinian' vs. 'descendent of Palestinian' vs. 'Arab of Palestinian origin'.
'Refugee camp' vs. 'town'.
Practical Pointers
Distribute leaflets explaining that a TWO state solution means one state each.
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Write an article for a student paper explaining the conflict, focussing on what Arafat objected to at Camp David.
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Hasbara Handbook: Promoting Israel on Campus
Glossary
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Refugees - Stateless people. This refers to the approximately 700,000 people who left their homes in 1948. It is also used to refer to their descendants, now numbering around 3.7 million.
Palestinian - This refers to those people and their descendants who lived in the area of British Mandate Palestine but who did not find themselves within Israel's borders after 1948. As with all nationalities however it is based on self-identification. Palestinians today are those people who consider themselves to be so. The term has generally not been used to refer to these people in 1948, since the Palestinian people have only become identified as a nation more recently. When discussing events around 1948 the term Palestinian Arab is used since Palestinians at that time was more frequently used to refer to the Jewish residents.
Palestine - Although this is the name that will be given to a likely future Palestinian state, here it refers to the area held under British mandate.
The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem – Benny Morris
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This book has been a landmark in the study of Israeli history. It has made an important Resource
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