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UN's Palestinian refugee camps to get facelift
Reuters
Published: 11.05.12, 08:43
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18 Talkbacks for this article
1. Are palestinians the only refugees in the world ?
Istvan ,   BUDAPEST HUNGARY   (05.11.12)
The only ones who live in camps, because their arab brothers reject to integrate them. Greeks, turks after WWI, german refugees after WWII , ten millions of hindus and pakistanis after India's independence are accepted and integrated decades ago. Only the palestinians are living in camps as arab's effort to destroy Israel. No more UN money for them !
2. after 60 years theyre no longer refugees
hah!!   (05.11.12)
The so called palestinians are the only refugees who get to transfer their refugee title on to their children. UNRA makes money outta these lies. The UN refugee defenition includes a separate defenition for the palestinians since they dont really fit to it. Theyve been living there for 60 years, thats their home!
3. The ARAB scapegot..
Beary White ,   Norway   (05.11.12)
The islamic world have held the refugees as an excuse to hostilities against Israel and the jewish community. While millions of refugees have been assimiliated in their third countries after WW1 and WW2, then the arab countries have mistreated the refugees in the most grusome way, by denying them new citienship in the arab world, denying them the possibilities to work...and many more discriminative rules.. Ultimately, the UN body shouls ORDER the arab nations to assimilate the refeugees in question.
4. The UN will do anything
Paul ,   Jerusalem   (05.11.12)
to perpetuate the conflict until they reach their ultimate goal, the elimination of Israel, in stead of working with Arab governments to accept Arab refugees. Oh, I forgot the UN is mostly Arab governments, and accommodating or weak Western governments.
5. Refugees?????
Dan ,   Florida - Tel Aviv   (05.11.12)
It has been 64 years. The longer the U.N. keeps these people prisoners saying they are refugees the worse their lot becomes in life and the conflict keeps getting prolonged. Destroy the camps and send the people back to Jordan from whence they came.
6. Both sides must give up fantasies
Avramele   (05.11.12)
The future of the refugees is in a to be created in the Palestinian state and not in Israel. Partition has its consequences and just as we Jews must give up the dream of greater Israel, refugees must understand there is no return to their now gone homes and villages west of the border to be created. But...Wouldn't it have been smart over the past 40 years if instead of building Jewish settlements Israel helped create In the territories new towns, villages and economic opportunities for these tragic victims of 1948.
7.  UNWRA upgrade plan
joe ,   uk   (05.11.12)
what do the palistinians do with the money does UNWRA check and see where the money goes or the goods they get
8. Only refugee camps in the west bank?
rebecca ,   Modiin   (05.11.12)
Why not in Lebanon, or Gaza or Jordan - opps sorry, there are no more refugees in Jordan - they threw them all out. But the camps in Lebanon and Gaza are far worse than in the West Bank.
9. UNWRA just updating its strategy to keep market share
Steven Gilbert ,   Teaneck   (05.11.12)
10. The only real "face lit" the UN can provide these camps is
Jehudah Ben-Israel ,   Qatzrin, Israel   (05.11.12)
to demand of the host countries to enable the residents of these camps to be integrated in the countries in which they have lived for some 64 years, in which their children and grand children have been born. Let these people work, study, acquire homes, become full citizens as millions and millions of refugees worldwide have been integrated into their host countries. Israel, by comparison, absorbed and integrated some 840,000 Jewish refugees from the Arab world. Can't the Arabs integrate the 300,000 to 700,000 refugees who fled Israel during Israel's War of Independence...??!!
11. European Union is not conseqent
Istvan ,   BUDAPEST HUNGARY   (05.11.12)
If in the case of palestinian refugees the EU supports not to integrate them, but keeping in camps, why does not do the same with its own refugees ? There are 1 million new arrivals since the "arab spring". Let's detain them in camps, no free movement, no integration, no perspective of citizenship, just like palestinians. And if the great day arrives, Arabia will be free again ( neverday ) send them back. Europeans will be the happiests.
12. UN/Arab League: NONVIOLENT TRANSFER for NEW LIFE and BALANCE
Jerry ,   The Netherlands   (05.11.12)
13. #6 avramele
solomon ,   bklyn   (05.11.12)
These “tragic victims” are victims of their own people, who told them to get out of the way of the invading arab armies in 1948 so they could throw the Jews into the sea. And you forget the “detail” that Abbas has said they will not be allowed to live in the WB, but must “return to their homes”. The problem is not the “refugees”; the problem is the arab unwillingness to accept Israel and the Jews.
14. #6
Amichai ,   Huntsville, US   (05.11.12)
You posit that it would've been smart for Israel to have helped build communities in the territories, but you forget a few things. Most blatantly you forget the details that Solomon brings to light in post #13. Secondly, you forget what Arabs do to things given to them. Look at Gush Katif - millions of dollars were spent by philanthropists (Bill Gates is one that comes to mind) on buying the greenhouses to give the to Palis. The greenhouses were quite viable and would have provided an instant local economy for the Palis to better their lives with. What did they do? They looted and pillaged the greenhouses & dug smuggling tunnels underneath them. Instead of re-purposing a synagogue to a mosque, they vandalized it, gutted it, then used it as a launch pad for katyushas into Southern Israel. No, I think the Palis have been given enough. It's time for their original host countries (Jordan, Syria & Egypt) to repatriate them & end this conflict. All they know is hate & destruction and it's time for the whole Arab world to come to terms with the monster they've created.
15. How can "refugees" exist in Palestinian Bethlehem?
Carl ,   USA   (05.11.12)
These so called "refugees" are living in an area fully controlled by their own people. What makes them refugees besides clinging to the dream of someday flooding Israel to eliminate the Jewish state? The UNRWA spokesman is delusional to think he is merely providing services pending a just and durable solution to the conflict. This organization is PREVENTING a just and durable solution by maintaining the refugee myth, preventing their integration into the larger Arab society, perpetuating a welfare economy, and brainwashing new generations of children to hate and avoid reality.
16. Close the refugee camps
david singer ,   australia   (05.12.12)
Since the international community recognized Palestinian statehood and an end to Palestinian homelessness on 31 October 2011 - why is UNWRA doing up the refugee camps - instead of closing them down?
17. UNRWAS existence is a big part of the problem
zionist forever   (05.14.12)
How many can be legitimately considered refugees? If you were a new born baby the day Israel declared independence then you would today be 64. Out of the 700,000 who left in 1948/49 how many were new born babies? After 64 years the vast majority of them are now dead but a baby born in 2012 is considered by the palestinians and their supporters to be just as much a refugee as somebody who had to leave their home 64 years ago. The palestinians are the only ones who the world grants this special inheritable refugee status. If the world wants progress then the first step is to say with a united voice we do not recognize palestinian refugee status as being inheritable and overnight they have lost international backing for right of return. After that dissolve UNRWA and make the palestinians the responsibility of the UNHCR like all other refugee groups in the world are. UNRWA is a crooked political body in its own right and has a vested interests in the palestinians staying in camps rather than being absorbed by other countries because no more camps means no more need for UNRWA.
18. UNWRA
bob k ,   Orlando USA   (05.14.12)
UNRWA director says he'd like to see UNWRA disappear? Really? And put its bureaucrats out of work? UNWRA is upgrading some facitities funded by Germany - why haven't the residents already been allowed to work and improve their own homes and other buildings over the decades. Can anyone imagine Israel simply leaving the approx 900,000 Jewish refugees from Arab and other Moslem countries to live in 'camps' paid for by the UN? The Palestinian decision to keep their people in UN camps is disastrous for the residents. Deprived of any incentive to improve their lives, no wonder many are dejected. And all for political 'gain'. One day the West will say it is no longer funding this unnecessary and damaging organization.
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