But why has the Palestinians refugee problem has persisted for so long, when compared to other, far worse refugee problems (like after WWII, when there were tens of millions of refugees) that were solved in shorter time periods? Here are a few things that make the Palestinian refugee problem more unique:
-The very definition of "refugee" is different for Palestinians from every other group. A non-Palestinian refugee is described as someone who (1) leaves their country out of "well founded fear of being persecuted," (2) is "outside the country of his nationality," and (3) "is unable or unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country." However, the criteria for a Palestinian to be a refugee is someone (1) "whose normal place of residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948," (2) "who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (regardless of the reason)," and (3) who is a descendent of someone who meets the first two criteria (Palestinians are the only group of people who can inherit refugee status, which means that it is the only group of people in which the number of refugees grows over time rather than decreases). So after reviewing those facts, it appears that refugee status is far easier to attain for Palestinians than any other group. Even if someone’s grandfather lived in what became Israel from April 1948 until the Arab-Israeli War (1 month), and left when they were told to by other invading Arab countries, that person has refugee status. This is unique in refugee situations, and inflates the number of refugees tremendously.
-Unwillingness of similar cultures to absorb the refugees- Refugee situations are usually solved by having a country absorb those refugees. The Palestinian refugee problem could have been solved anytime Jordan controlled the West Bank. The "Palestinian culture"and language is identical to the Jordanian culture because "Palestinians," as they were designated by the British in 1921, were for the most part migrants from what was then called TransJordan. However, the unwillingness of Jordan, as well as any of the other 21 Arab countries, to absorb ANY Palestinian refugees has exacerbated the problem.
-The mission of UN agencies serving refugees is different for Palestinians than anyone else. First of all, the Palestinians are the only group that has an entire agency devoted to their cause (UNRWA), every other group of refugees is cared for by a single agency (UNHCR). The mission of the UNHCR is to find permanent homes for refugees. The mission of the UNRWA is to maintain the refugees within the refugee camps they set up, rather than finding an actual solution to the problem.
So why do Palestinians have more rights that people from the Sudan, or the Congo, or Somalia, or Iraq, or Columbia, or Darfur or Rwanda? What makes them more special than any of these other refugee groups?
SECULAR HUMANIST- "Palestine" is not, and never was a country. It was the name of a geographic region named by the Romans following their victory over the Jewish kingdom of Judea in about the year 70. They named the area "Palaestina" after the Philistines of the Bible. The region included Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, all of Jordan, and some of Syria. Palestine was never a country.
Their god Allah (Satan) has duped the rest of the world into thinking they are the victims when in reality they are aggressors who are unwilling to stop trying to exterminate Israel. Someday they’ll get their come-uppin’s!