From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Will the South Lebanese Be Told They Can't Return As the Palestinians Were in 1948
Estimates vary from about 520,000 (Israeli sources) to 726,000 (UN sources) to over 800,000 (Arab sources) refugees, Palestinian Arabs who fled or were forced out of their homes during the fighting. This number has grown to include over 4.6 million displaced persons, about 3.7 million of whom are currently registered as refugees with the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees). Of these, somewhat over a million live in camps run by the UNRWA (see http://www.un.org/unrwa/pr/pdf/figures.pdf ) Generally, refugees living in the camps live in conditions of abject poverty and overcrowding. The refugees of the 1948 Israeli war of independence and the lesser number of refugees of the 1967 war constitute a real monumental humanitarian and political problem, and no resolution of the conflict can ignore them. The issue has also been deliberately exploited by Arab and Palestinian politicians in their war with Israel. The refugee problem has been at the heart of peace negotiations ever since 1949.
Israel views the 1948 refugees as hostile persons sympathetic with a belligerent aggressor, and passed a law forbidding their return, and assigning all their land holdings to a custodian of absentee property.
http://www.mideastweb.org/refugees1.htm
Israel views the 1948 refugees as hostile persons sympathetic with a belligerent aggressor, and passed a law forbidding their return, and assigning all their land holdings to a custodian of absentee property.
http://www.mideastweb.org/refugees1.htm
Today, following an attack on civilians taking refuge in Qana that killed over 54 (mostly children), Israel said it would suspend bombing for several days while the Lebanese are given time to leave South Lebanon. Israel has already talked about setting up a unpopulated buffer zone in the South and depending on the size of this zone many of the refugees will never be allowed to return home. With 800,000 or more internally displaced persons within Lebanon, one wonders what will happen to these people. Will they be forced into refugee camps in N Lebanon and Syria? 50 years from now will they still be begging (as the Palestinians still are) for the right to return to their houses that they fleed so they wouldnt be killed? Will the world forget them like they forgot the Palestinians and claim calls for a right to return are antiSemitism as is done by many on the left and right in the US (with Democratic leaders and Air America hosts universally ignoring the reasons for Palestinian anger and claiming any hatred must be the result of antiSemitism)?
Hezbollah was the result of the last Israeli invasion of Lebanon with much of the Shia population before then holding proIsrael sentiments... what will be the result of this invasion... how many years of hatred will it produce? Will the US public forget Qana and will racists like Al Franken and Ed Schultz rally radio Air America audiences to support the Democrats while railing on the irrational hatred of the Lebanese towards Israel (as if the attrocities never occured)?
See:
Israel to maintain buffer zone
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1153821748385&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154
Israel agrees to 48-hour halt in IAF activity over south Lebanon to probe Qana strike
By Ze'ev Schiff and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents, and Agencies
Israel has agreed to suspend its aerial bombardment of southern Lebanon for 48 hours, effective immediately, to allow for an investigation into Sunday's bombing that killed 54 civilians, a U.S. State Department official said early Monday.
Israel will also coordinate with the United Nations to allow a 24-hour window for residents of southern Lebanon to leave the area if they wish, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told a briefing in Jerusalem.
More
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/744295.html
Spokesman Adam Ereli said the Israelis reserve the right to take action against targets preparing attacks against it during the 48-hour period, but the bombing halt should "significantly speed and improve the flow of humanitarian aid." Israeli officials also agreed to allow safe passage for 24 hours for residents of southern Lebanon to leave the region.
More
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/30/mideast.main/index.html
Hezbollah was the result of the last Israeli invasion of Lebanon with much of the Shia population before then holding proIsrael sentiments... what will be the result of this invasion... how many years of hatred will it produce? Will the US public forget Qana and will racists like Al Franken and Ed Schultz rally radio Air America audiences to support the Democrats while railing on the irrational hatred of the Lebanese towards Israel (as if the attrocities never occured)?
See:
Israel to maintain buffer zone
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1153821748385&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154
Israel agrees to 48-hour halt in IAF activity over south Lebanon to probe Qana strike
By Ze'ev Schiff and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents, and Agencies
Israel has agreed to suspend its aerial bombardment of southern Lebanon for 48 hours, effective immediately, to allow for an investigation into Sunday's bombing that killed 54 civilians, a U.S. State Department official said early Monday.
Israel will also coordinate with the United Nations to allow a 24-hour window for residents of southern Lebanon to leave the area if they wish, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told a briefing in Jerusalem.
More
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/744295.html
Spokesman Adam Ereli said the Israelis reserve the right to take action against targets preparing attacks against it during the 48-hour period, but the bombing halt should "significantly speed and improve the flow of humanitarian aid." Israeli officials also agreed to allow safe passage for 24 hours for residents of southern Lebanon to leave the region.
More
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/30/mideast.main/index.html
Add Your Comments
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network