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Somewhere in the midst of the peace negotiations between the parties in the Middle East, the refugee issue is being sidestepped. Palestinian refugees and their descendents have been living in squalid conditions for many of the 50 years since the State of Israel was created.
It was in these camps that the PLO, Hamas, and other terrorist groups were created. It was in the camps that the Intifada commenced. And it from these camps that Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasir Arafat gets much of his strength based on the promise of Palestinian Statehood. Even though Chairman Arafat claims to want to deal with the refugee issue, he has not made any serious attempt at reconciling his position with the reality of a diaspora of several million Palestinians living in refugee camps in Gaza, Jordan, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern countries who have a legitimate right or claim to lands within Israel or the West Bank and Gaza. The refugee problem should not be pushed aside. These are real people who have suffered immensely and lost everything. Their plight has led to desperation and despair. Allowing a peace deal to not include a meaningful resolution to the refugee problem will mean long-term problems for Israeli and Palestinian leaders who have to deal with a disillusioned group who trust noone. Links of ImportanceGo To Page: 1
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