Israel was willing to take in 150,000 Arab refugees - despite survival risks

Submitted by Don P. (United States), Jun 21, 2021 at 10:36

RE:

Arik Ariel, "Revealed From Archive: Israel's Secret Plan to Resettle Arab Refugees." Haarerz, Dec. 19, 2013.
Plans drawn up during the 1950s and '60s had one overriding goal: to preserve the demographic status quo by resettling the 1948 Arab refugees far away from the country.
Dr. Arik Ariel, an attorney, is a lecturer in intelligence and policy and in law and politics at the Emek Yezreel College. The article is based on his PhD. thesis at the University of Haifa.

____________

RESPONSE:

1. Why wasn't the title of the article 'Israel was willing to take in 150,000 Arab refugees - despite survival risks?'

__

2. How does one "know" for sure that to resettle refugees was only because of international pressure and not just or at least also a genuine desire to help? Also evident in Golda Meir's own book ["Arab Refugee Problem: Towards a Solution," 1961].

____

3. Why wasn't it mentioned that Arab nations themselves were not supportive of the idea refugees return to Israel?

____

4. It's inaccurate to present Ahmad Shukairy as some kind of "honest" broker or worst, almost some "activist." For example, he specifically explained his design for the refugees in shabby condition to serve for propaganda. His objection, the refugees in Lebanon integrare.

Here's from New York Times at the time:

Thomas F. Brady, "Arabs Adamant Against Absorption of Refugees", "The New York Times", April 4, 1966. p. 14.
JERUSALEM (Jordanian Sector), March 30. "The Arab states will not integrate the Palestine refugees because integration would be a slow process of liquidating the Palestine problem," Ahmed Shukairy, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, declared in an interview today.

Consequently, "the refugees don't want to be integrated." he continued. "If there are no Palestinian people. there is no Palestinian cause. We can't conceive of a Babylonian cause today because there are no Babylonians." But we start from the premise that we will achieve the liberation of Palestine soon."...

Hamdi Hizrallah, 40 years old, a representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was at the intetview... he said with great intensity: "I will tell you something. And I wish you would quote me. If they try to leave. We will stop them, by force if need be."

(Asides from Shukairy's nani record, as in working for Hitler: Recalled in the US House on July 26, 1961 by Rep. Holtzman; on February 3, 1964 by Rep. Scott; by Rep Farbstein on Jan 26, 1965 and
reminded by Dr. Simard to the NYT - qtd in Detroit Jewish News. February 03, 1967. p.9. And had rationalized the Holocaust - as reported in B'nai B'rith, July 12, 1946).

____

5. Meir's concerns then:

Gardner, L. (2009). Three Kings: The Rise of an American Empire in the Middle East After World War II. United States: New Press. p.203.

Near East 1962-1963. By United States. Department of State, Nina J. Noring, John P. Glennon, Glenn W. LaFantasie · 1995, p.279

'She asked the president to understand that Israel want to see this problem solved.
In 1949 it had said it would take up to 100,000 refugees back . Even though there was no peace , close to 40,000 came back . There are 230,000 to 240,000 Arabs living in Israel, about 11 % of the population. Not all of them are peaceful citizens. For example , as development programs go forward peoples' houses sometimes have to be moved for new roads or other facilities . Although no one likes his house to be destroyed, Jewish citizens accept it even if they don't like it. But a few months ago when a new road was to be cut through an Arab village, there was a quite different reaction. We were accused of taking something away from the Arabs. They said they would put their women and children right in front of any bulldozers brought in. This is the sort of line they always take.
The question is this : even if Israel is to accept a very small number of Arabs, for what purposes would they be coming in?
In the United Nations the Arabs repeat frankly and openly for hours and hours the one refrain that Israel has no right to exist and must disappear. This is the situation. Israel knows about Arab plans to bring Arabs back to Israel and then to make an Algeria out of Israel. They would create difficulties within the country; then when the Israeli Government would do what any state would have to do under the circumstances, the Arab countries would come to the help of these returning Arab refugees."'

____

6. How does one feel now for example, after April-2021 Arab-racist attacks on Jews who choose not to serve in the IDF, or the massive Arab snti-Jewish attacks including on 20 houses of worships? I. E. Not that I personally advocate for transfer, but how can one dismiss the constant survival fear-for-survival, at demographic situation in face of constant incitement by Arab leadership?

___

7. Another small point: Isn't the Arabs and ultra leftists protests against "judaizing areas" not an anti Jewish racist according to its own criteria?

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".