Not much attention was given to World Refugee Day -”Real People Real Needs” on June 20th or our part in keeping two groups refugees. Our invasion of Iraq resulted in approximately 4 million Iraqis becoming refugees with half leaving mostly to take refuge in Jordan and Syria. Many are still afraid to return to Iraq.
According to UN agencies, Palestinian refugees (4.6 million) are the largest and longest existing refugee population. Their dislocation started with 1948 Israeli violence, persecution, land confiscation. etc. to create a Jewish state in Palestine. The violence caused approximately 700,000 Palestinians to flee to neighboring Arab states. Others fled to the West Bank and the Gaza strip.
Today, Palestinians living in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza continue to face violence, harassment, land confiscation, obstacles to movement, etc. by Israeli government forces. Palestinian refugees in neighboring Arab countries wait for a just solution (Right of Return called for in UN Resolutions) to having lost their homes in what is now called Israel. Our support for Israel perpetuates their suffering. Below is a UN June 30, 2008 accounting of the number of Palestinian registered refugees:
| Camps | Refugees in Camps |
Refugees | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan | 10 | 338,000 | 1,951,603 | |
| Lebanon | 12 | 222,776 | 422,188 | |
| Syria | 9 | 125,009 | 461,897 | |
| West Bank | 19 | 193,370 | 762,820 | |
| Gaza Strip | 8 | 495,006 | 1,073,303 | |
| 58 | 1,373,732 | 4,671,811 | ||
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We are outraged by Iran’s crushing protests but rarely say anything about Israel’s violent crushing of the weekly peaceful Palestinian protests in the West Bank. Palestinians protest the Israeli occupation, land confiscation, building of the separation wall, etc. Israeli soldiers brutal attacks sometimes result in injuries and deaths. |
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The US needs to look at how our Foreign Policy contributes to these two groups of refugees not attaining just solutions. Arabs I spoke to in Jordan, Syria and the West Bank dislike Israel for its injustices to Palestinians, not because it is a Jewish state.
Elected British official George Gallaway is gathering an international group to bring medical aid to Gaza July 12-17, 2009. For information on how you can contribute or join this effort go to http://www.vivapalestina-us.org.
Mr. Gallaway will be speaking in Denver at 7 pm on July 1.
George Galloway is a true giant of a man in the quest of social evolution. His passioned intelligent thinking is the cutting edge of change in todays world. His foundation? Courage!! Love this man, for surely he loves life and all its challenges…