The United Nations runs a "refugee assistance" organization just for Palestinian refugees. It's known as UNWRA. I was struck today by this description of UNWRA by the AP
UNRWA provides services to about 5 million Palestinian refugees across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank and Gaza. Most are descendants of some 700,000 Palestinians who were driven out of their homes or fled fighting in the 1948 war that led to Israel's creation.
Think about that. The "refugees" that this organization serves are descendants of people who had to move due to a war that happened 70 years ago. The event in question happened so long ago, that most people alive today have no memory of it ever happening. Let's put it another way. The Korean War took place in 1950-53. That means it ended 65 years ago. If a person fled North Korea (as a child) ahead of the fighting and ended up in South Korea, should the UN provide support for that person today? And how about that person's children and grandchildren and, perhaps, great-grandchildren. Should the UN be supporting all of these people today? Remember the Korean War had the UN on one side of the conflict, so the refugees were directly the result of UN action. Still, no one would seriously contend that the UN should be supporting these so-called refugees and their descendants. So why are the Palestinians treated differently?
For twenty years after the so called refugee problem first surfaced, these people lived under Arab rule in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. There was no reason for them not to be assimilated into these friendly societies. They were not, however, because the Arabs wanted to keep them separate as a cause, something that could be used to bludgeon the Israelis.
I ask the question again, however. Why is it the UN's responsibility to help the descendants of the Palestinian refugees?
Today, in Gaza, the employees of UNWRA threatened the senior managers of UNWRA. In fact, these managers had to be evacuated from Gaza and into Israel. This all happened because UNWRA announced that it would have to lay off about 100 employees as a result of the USA stopping further payments to UNWRA. But isn't it time that these people had to support themselves?
UNRWA provides services to about 5 million Palestinian refugees across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank and Gaza. Most are descendants of some 700,000 Palestinians who were driven out of their homes or fled fighting in the 1948 war that led to Israel's creation.
Think about that. The "refugees" that this organization serves are descendants of people who had to move due to a war that happened 70 years ago. The event in question happened so long ago, that most people alive today have no memory of it ever happening. Let's put it another way. The Korean War took place in 1950-53. That means it ended 65 years ago. If a person fled North Korea (as a child) ahead of the fighting and ended up in South Korea, should the UN provide support for that person today? And how about that person's children and grandchildren and, perhaps, great-grandchildren. Should the UN be supporting all of these people today? Remember the Korean War had the UN on one side of the conflict, so the refugees were directly the result of UN action. Still, no one would seriously contend that the UN should be supporting these so-called refugees and their descendants. So why are the Palestinians treated differently?
For twenty years after the so called refugee problem first surfaced, these people lived under Arab rule in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. There was no reason for them not to be assimilated into these friendly societies. They were not, however, because the Arabs wanted to keep them separate as a cause, something that could be used to bludgeon the Israelis.
I ask the question again, however. Why is it the UN's responsibility to help the descendants of the Palestinian refugees?
Today, in Gaza, the employees of UNWRA threatened the senior managers of UNWRA. In fact, these managers had to be evacuated from Gaza and into Israel. This all happened because UNWRA announced that it would have to lay off about 100 employees as a result of the USA stopping further payments to UNWRA. But isn't it time that these people had to support themselves?
No comments:
Post a Comment