S E E D E D C O N T E N T
In early 2018, President Donald Trump froze a large portion of the funding that the United States provides annually for UNRWA (the United Nations Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees a in the Near East). Prior to imposing the $125 million freeze, Trump tweeted : "[W]e pay the Palestinians HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect."
The president's move came in response to the fact that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his henchmen yet again were rejecting American and Israeli peace overtures. Yet it was both welcome and necessary for reasons well beyond Palestinian intransigence. UNRWA not only has an abominable record of ties to terrorism , which makes a mockery of its mandate to " provide relief, human development and protection services ;" but its entire existence is based on a false premise -- a special UN definition of "refugee" for Palestinians that sets them apart from other people in the world categorized as such . It thus has been able for decades to keep cash flowing freely into its coffers, providing "humanitarian services" for millions of Palestinians who are not refugees by any measure. As the ZOA's Morton Klein and Daniel Mandel recently wrote :
"All this stands in stark contrast to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the international body that deals with all refugee problems other than the Palestinian Arabs. UNHRC observes a universal definition of refugee status, one that applies solely to those who actually fled their country during hostilities, civil war, natural disaster, or other disturbances. UNHCR works to resettle refugees quickly and dismantle the temporary refugee camps housing them. Nor does it count descendants as refugees.
"This has immense practical ramifications: in literally all other cases other than the Palestinian Arabs, the number of refugees shrinks over time — chiefly through successful resettlement. In contrast, in the Palestinian Arab case, their numbers continue to expand ceaselessly.
"Thus, instead of the living original refugees officially numbering 30,000, UNRWA now services some 5.3 million Palestinian Arabs."
The actual number of Palestinian refugees is likely even lower than that cited by the authors: a classified State Department report, delivered to Congress in 2015, reveals it to be closer to 20,000. The report showed that billions of taxpayer dollars have been funneled over the years into an organization that seems to have been perpetuating a fraud . It is no wonder, then, that the Obama administration kept the report's contents a secret from the American public. More surprising is the fact that, since the report was first submitted to Congress in 2015 -- and subsequently exposed by the Washington Free Beacon in January, 2018 -- it has yet to be made public. To rectify this situation, fifty-one members of the House of Representatives signed a letter on April 18 -- spurred by the Middle East Forum -- calling on Trump to declassify the report.
The letter reads, in part:
"We commend your leadership in guiding the U.S.-Israel relationship to its best years in recent history, and also for finally recognizing that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel...an important step in reaching a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. We have tremendous confidence that you will continue taking such steps to resolve the conflict, and encourage you to next address the so-called 'Palestinian refugee' population
"America has provided $1 billion to ...UNRWA over the last four fiscal years, and nearly $6 billion since UNRWA's inception in 1950 . We are concerned that American taxpayer dollars are not being used properly. Your withholding of funds from UNRWA in January on the condition that they reform was a tremendous first step. American taxpayers deserve to know how they tax dollars are spent on Palestinian refugees and their descendants.
"In order to investigate the matter, the Senate Report 112-172 to the Department of State, Foreign Operations, And Related Programs Appropriations bill in 2012 directed the Department of State to issue a report to Congress detailing 'the approximate number of people who, in the past year, have received UNRWA services: (1) whose place of residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who were displaces as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict; and (2) who are [their] descendants...
"...Finally, in 2015, the Obama State Department delivered the mandated report to Congress in classified form despite no apparent national security threat or known historical precedent...We believe this classification was inappropriate and a deliberate attempt to conceal information from American taxpayers...
"We respectfully request that you instruct the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration to declassify this report. The issue of the so-called Palestinian 'right of return' of 5.3 million refugees to Israel as part of any 'peace deal' is an unrealistic demand, and we do not believe it accurately reflects the number of actual Palestinian refugees..."
UNRWA is anything but a humanitarian organization interested in the welfare of the Palestinians whom it claims to have spent the past nearly 70 years assisting. It is, rather, a self-serving political body that has bolstered Arab/Palestinian rejectionism and perpetuated Palestinian suffering, thereby preventing peace and prosperity. Its dissolution is long overdue.
Ruthie Blum is the author of "To Hell in a Handbasket: Carter, Obama, and the 'Arab Spring.'"
Let's hear from those who feel that any military aid sent to Israel is a waste of taxpayer dollars. How do they feel about this fraud?
It is much worse and should be ended now
I did not know it was that much
These "refugees" exist because of Arab states' intransigence ever since their refusal of the 1948 UN peace plan. So... now... let those same Arab states pay for their keep.
Refugees have always been absorbed by other countries when they had to leave their own. What is so fucking special about the Palestinians?
I don't think any country wants them
It is not just that they don't want them. The countries where they are located (Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Jordan) simply cannot absorb them. All are politically unstable. None of them can afford it economically. All have very diverse populations already (that sometimes don't get along due to religious, tribal, and even clan conflicts that go back 100's of years). A large influx of Palestinians with full rights in those countries could topple the governments there, or at the very least start a civil war.
Then you have to factor in Israel. Look what they did to the Lebanese military and government during the last conflict. Israel has kept the Lebanese military intentionally weak (same with Jordan); it is not strong enough to take on Hezbollah or Hamas. All of the governments need to keep the Palestinian as refugees so they have deniability if they attack Israel.
Sykes and Picot drew lines on a map based on terrain, water, and oil. They didn't factor in the all of the various groups living permanently; and the tribal nomads travelling within these regions.
You're joking, right??
Saudi Arabia can't afford it?
The Saudis are all the more responsible because they were instrumental (with Egypt) in "weaponizing" the Palestinians, from 1948 forward.
Did I mention Saudi Arabia? No, because the refugees are not located there.
Have you looked at a map? Outside of Jordan they are not close to one of those countries. Also, did you neglect the part about religious, tribal, and clan conflicts? You just can't slap the term Arab on every non-Israeli in the Middle East and think they are all on big happy family. The Saudis don't want a large influx of Palestinians within their borders either.
There is a reason the countries surrounding Israel are force to keep the refugees. They all really on other ME countries for economic, and sometimes military, aid. I am sure if Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria were strong enough they would love to push the Palestinian refugees off on some other country.
Kinda dismissive, aren't you?
I know the successive maps of the region quite well, from the late 19th century forward. Beginning with the Ottoman districts, which were totally different from those decided by the British and the French after WWI. I know the maps of the Palestinian Mandate, and of the various (incompatible) promises made by the Brits to different parties. I know the maps of the results of Israel's wars and treaties. ... Do you?
The Arab refugees who fled Judea/Samaria during the 1947 war were indistinguishable from those around that region. Same dialect, same religion, same tradition. In fact, one of the difficulties in estimating their number is that a large but unknown number of peasants from Mesopotamia had arrived during the previous decades. Are these "Palestinians"?
There was no good reason for these refugees to not be absorbed.
Saudi Arabia is intimately concerned because they bankrolled much of that first war. They encouraged the fellahs to leave, promising that they would soon return. They have consistently goaded the Palestinians to "struggle" ever since.
Oh, and... Just for information... There were roughly the same number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands, who fled to Israel. These were primarily Sephardim, while most Jews in Israel at the time were Ashkenazi. Different languages and customs. But they were welcomed by their fellow Jews.
The Arab refugees from Judea/Samaria, OTOH, despite being indistinguishable from their neighbors, were put in camps behind barbed wire... where they are still held prisoners today.
So... The Palestinians have indeed been ill-treated... but not by Israel. By their Muslim "brothers"...
Can you explain how Israel managed to do that (especially Jordan)? And why Israel would want to keep the Lebanese military weak when it was at least a control over Hezbollah?
Maybe someone should tell that to Israel.
As for Jordan.
Also, Israel enjoys a massive air superiority advantage over it's neighbors- they want to keep it.
I am not for either side in this. We have wasted billions of dollars on each; and are prepared to throw billions more away to accomplish nothing. We aren't interested in making Lebanon's and Jordan's military strong enough to truly defend themselves. They are just tools to offset Hezbollah and Hamas expansion. Unfortunately we have underestimated those two parties resources repeatedly. They are better trained, equipped, and far more willing fighters. The next conflict between those groups and Israel will see the Lebanese military hiding again; as they don't want to risk terrorist attacks on themselves and their families.
Still ignoring history and religion it seems. Not all Sunni's and Shia are the same. ISIS/ISIL should be proof enough of that. Their main victims are Sunnis that are not Sunni enough for them. Religious, tribal, and clan conflicts would come out again. You can't just pickup a large portion of "Arabs" and transplant them somewhere else in the ME. You act like genetic markers and very local aspects of life are all that matter.
Yes, the Palestinians have receive a raw deal- from everyone, period. Don't expect that to change. If Israel and the rest of the Arab world really wanted the Palestinians to have a viable independent state it would already be done by now. Israel really doesn't see the need for one as the PA has no way of curtailing Hamas in the Gaza Strip (yet are still held responsible for their actions); and settlement expansion continues in the West Bank. The rest of the Arab world sees the Palestinians as a cheap/easy to maintain thorn in the Israeli side; without risking direct conflict with Israel.
I'll put my money on Bob Nelson's opinions rather than yours. but thanks for contributing your comments.
Still being dismissive... without actually knowing what you are talking about... Well. I'm a forgiving sort of person (
), so I'll give you one more chance...
I REPEAT for those who were not paying attention... The refugees from Judea / Samaria in 1947 were indistinguishable from the people of the regions where they fled. The "Palestinian" fellah was indistinguishable from the "Syrian" fellah or the "Iraqi" fellah, in language, customs or religion (there were Shi'ites and Sunnis all across the region, and both sects were among the refugees). Indeed, "Palestine", "Syria" and "Iraq" were all artificial constructs, created by the British and the French after WWI (Sykes-Picot, 1916), which explains why the countries' borders have nothing to do with religion or ethnicity..
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Why not? That's what happened to many, many millions of people after WWII. It's a fine old American tradition, too, as any descendant of a survivor of the Trail of Tears will tell you... Ask Kavika or 1st Warrior, here on NT.
There were some TEN MILLION refugees all across Europe after WWII, as populations were shifted to fit redrawn borders. They were all assimilated within a few years: Sudetendeutsch into Germany, Turks from Bulgaria to Turkey, Bulgars from Turkey to Bulgaria, and Poles shifted every which way...
Those ten million refugees were assimilated .
The roughly 750 000 Jews who fled from Arab countries were assimilated into Israel. Not a simple task, since the refugees were more numerous than the Jews already there... and of a very different origin (Sephardim as opposed to Ashkenazim, look them up). The population to be assimilated was far more different from the existing population than in the case of the Muslim refugees.
The roughly 750 000 Muslim refugees were NOT assimilated into the roughly 100 MILLION population of the Arab states. Yes... that's about the same number, so the scales were balanced way back in 1948.
You're right to feel sorry for the Palestinians who have been treated miserably by their Muslim "brothers". You're wrong to blame the Israelis.
Do we need any more evidence that much of what the UN does is a scam?