May 12, 1951 Arab Refugees

Israel has become a fact and in the event of a return of the refugees they will constitute a minority that will have to live in a foreign environment and in conditions which are unfamiliar to them together with people who speak a language which they do not understand. It is a fact that many Arabs leave Israel today of their own free will. The returning refugees will also encounter the economic difficulties of Israel. We should also remember that not all refugees will be able to return. The Jews will prefer to be killed rather than to return to the European camps. The refugees who will return to Palestine will leave their camps only in order to stay in other camps and their settlement in Israel will take much more than their absorption in the countries where they live today. After three years it is not human and not logical to compel them to wait without giving them concrete help.

Syria and Iraq can easily absorb additional refugees and even Egypt might be capable of absorbing more. Lebanon has already too many refugees. A special situation prevails in Jordan since 450,000 out of 800,000 refugees stay now, and those will be able to get settled there only with great difficulties even if they get the assistance of the U.N.

We have to introduce a new approach to the problem; half of the refugees who stay now in Jordan, the majority of the refugees of the Gaza strip and a great number of the refugees who stay in Lebanon should move to Syria, Iraq and the Sinai Peninsula. They should form a productive force which might help to improve the economic conditions in the countries where they will be absorbed.