Shusha
Gold Member
- Dec 14, 2015
- 13,879
- 2,558
- 290
It is time to end UNWRA.
UNRWA’s essence involves making it clear to the more than 70 percent of Gaza inhabitants registered as refugees, that Gaza is not their true home. It does so by providing the political infrastructure that grants Palestinians the status of “refugees,” which they would not otherwise merit if international standards were applied to them; by passing this status on to their descendants automatically and in perpetuity, while opposing any effort to find solutions for those registered as “refugees,” other than in the context of the collective demand for “return.” It is this that UNRWA often refers to by the code words “just solution” and “legitimate rights,” of which it calls itself the protector. UNRWA makes it clear to the “refugees” in Gaza (and in all of its other areas of operations) that their “true home,” wrested from them by force, lies across the border. People who grow up with that belief will assuredly use cement, when given it, not to build permanent homes, but to dig tunnels to the place which, as far as they are concerned, is their real home. Source: How UNWRA Prevents Gaza From Thriving
I believe this applies not only to Gaza, but to all Palestinians. They are stuck in an impossible limbo from which there is no escape. They refuse to commit ideologically to building lives for themselves -- individually, culturally and nationally -- because they are stuck in the ideological fantasy that they will gain access to territory in Israel. Be absolutely clear that is a fantasy. It will not and can not happen. Even if they had a right to it (and they most assuredly do not), Israel will not permit it, for a thousand, completely justifiable reasons. Israel is getting stronger, Palestine is getting weaker. They do not have the financial or military power to achieve this fantasy against Israel's will. And they are losing global investment in this fantasy, led by the US but followed by other nations, including Arab nations. The scales are beginning to tip against them.
Further, it is necessary for the international community to restore the concept of refugee-status to its original intent which is to ensure peoples receive aide in terms of shelter, adequate food, medical care, etc in emergency situations until those emergency situations can be relieved. This relief encompasses a variety of different possibilities: return, yes (rarely), resettlement, restitution. The idea that return is the only solution remains unrealistic in most circumstances, and has never been universally applied.
Dr. Einat Wilf on Twitter
I am NOT, necessarily, saying that Palestine and Palestinians should lose all international aide. But that aide must be directed towards activities of state-building, of permanent settlement in Arab Palestine, of infrastructure, of economic growth and development of trade, employment and use of resources.
Sooner the better.
UNRWA’s essence involves making it clear to the more than 70 percent of Gaza inhabitants registered as refugees, that Gaza is not their true home. It does so by providing the political infrastructure that grants Palestinians the status of “refugees,” which they would not otherwise merit if international standards were applied to them; by passing this status on to their descendants automatically and in perpetuity, while opposing any effort to find solutions for those registered as “refugees,” other than in the context of the collective demand for “return.” It is this that UNRWA often refers to by the code words “just solution” and “legitimate rights,” of which it calls itself the protector. UNRWA makes it clear to the “refugees” in Gaza (and in all of its other areas of operations) that their “true home,” wrested from them by force, lies across the border. People who grow up with that belief will assuredly use cement, when given it, not to build permanent homes, but to dig tunnels to the place which, as far as they are concerned, is their real home. Source: How UNWRA Prevents Gaza From Thriving
I believe this applies not only to Gaza, but to all Palestinians. They are stuck in an impossible limbo from which there is no escape. They refuse to commit ideologically to building lives for themselves -- individually, culturally and nationally -- because they are stuck in the ideological fantasy that they will gain access to territory in Israel. Be absolutely clear that is a fantasy. It will not and can not happen. Even if they had a right to it (and they most assuredly do not), Israel will not permit it, for a thousand, completely justifiable reasons. Israel is getting stronger, Palestine is getting weaker. They do not have the financial or military power to achieve this fantasy against Israel's will. And they are losing global investment in this fantasy, led by the US but followed by other nations, including Arab nations. The scales are beginning to tip against them.
Further, it is necessary for the international community to restore the concept of refugee-status to its original intent which is to ensure peoples receive aide in terms of shelter, adequate food, medical care, etc in emergency situations until those emergency situations can be relieved. This relief encompasses a variety of different possibilities: return, yes (rarely), resettlement, restitution. The idea that return is the only solution remains unrealistic in most circumstances, and has never been universally applied.
Dr. Einat Wilf on Twitter
I am NOT, necessarily, saying that Palestine and Palestinians should lose all international aide. But that aide must be directed towards activities of state-building, of permanent settlement in Arab Palestine, of infrastructure, of economic growth and development of trade, employment and use of resources.
Sooner the better.