In May 2016 I spoke at a panel event on the possibility of a two state solution. My talk focused on the key issue of the entire conflict – the reason the ‘Palestinian refugee’ situation can never end. At the time I called for the ridiculous definition of a Palestinian refugee to be thrown into the dustbin of history and for UNRWA to be scrapped alongside it. A newly published book by Adi Shwartz and Einat Wilf called ‘the War of Return‘ lays out the case far better than I ever did. This piece isn’t a review of the book as much as support for the truth that is written inside. I rarely agree with a book as much as I did with the ‘War of Return‘. If you want to see all the evidence that supports these arguments, I really suggest reading it.
The truth is not right wing
Adi Schwartz used to work for Ha’aretz. Einat Wilf was a member of parliament for the Labour Party. The two authors were both long time members of the Israeli left. For many, what occurred between 1993 and 2008 would fundamentally challenge long-held beliefs. Between the Labour Party’s victory in the 1992 election and its 2009 electoral disaster – the entire peace camp of Israel collapsed. Israelis experienced first-hand something that could not be denied – the paradigm of the Oslo peace process was built on falsehoods.
Israelis were forced through this awakening, as the fake doves of Oslo turned into the bombs of the second intifada. Far removed from the blood flowing down Israeli streets, western politicians – and even large community organisations in the Jewish diaspora – still hold on to the Oslo process. It creates a divide that makes it seem as if Israel has shifted to the right. It has not – it has just stopped believing the lies.
Denying Israel’s right to exist
The truth of this conflict is, and has always been, about a denial of Israel’s right to exist. Before 1967, that was an obvious statement to make. Since 1967, a false narrative spread, suggesting that the Palestinians (as a body, not as individuals) are willing to make peace with the Jewish state.
The Right of Return is a call for the end of Jewish self-determination, the destruction of Israel, and the Palestinians openly say that they will *never* give it up. Everything people in the west, including Jews in the diaspora, choose to hear beyond that message is delusional. Adherence to the idea of a negotiated settlement becomes an act of faith built without any supporting evidence.
The Palestinians chose to walk away from several serious opportunities to make peace because they couldn’t sign a peace deal. The problem wasn’t about land, nor was it about settlements – it was because the Arabs created and nurtured a national identity inside the refugee camps that was built with a singular purpose -to facilitate the destruction of the State of Israel. This identity now holds everybody hostage – including the Palestinians in places such as Ramallah.
The War of Return
The War of Return goes into well documented, forensic historic detail, showing how the Palestinian refugees became a weapon, pawns used by Arab states intent on Israel’s destruction. How they were politically shaped and ideologically radicalised. Some taken as children and turned into terrorists. At the heart of this process was a United Nations agency – funded by western democracies – UNRWA. The camps of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency have almost certainly been responsible for the production of more terrorists, than any Al Qaeda base. Hate, radicalisation, and terrorism rubber stamped and funded by delusionists and cowards in the west.
The book works its way through the early history, how the refugee issue was created and then sustained. Some of the examples brought to light in its pages are simply jaw-dropping. Even for someone like myself who spends his time in archive material, the book was eye-opening.
Through a combination of ill-fated historical coincidence at the start of the Cold War, political cowardice and a thirst for oil, western powers caved in and helped to create a humanitarian crisis that would perpetually abuse everyone concerned. Anyone who really wants to understand WHY this conflict is still ongoing, needs to get hold of this book. The Palestinian identity as we know it in the west, is not a product of the children in Ramallah. Most of them just get on with their lives. The identity was forged inside the camps – as a weapon – and this book explains exactly how it happened.
UNRWA has to go
UNRWA, and much of the apparatus of the UN these days exist inside a paradigm of apology. The end goal is a setting back of the clocks to before the 1947 partition plan. It is no coincidence that the annual UN ‘day of solidarity’ with the Palestinian people is on the 29th November, the day of the vote on partition. Why on that day, because they the UN are sorry it happened. Despite western pressure everything the UN does still treats ‘Zionism as racism’. This message is carried throughout the Palestinian movements and NGOs. The right of return is part of the way the ‘clocks’ get reset, the Jewish state is undone and Palestine – from the river to the sea – becomes ‘free’.
UNRWA, rather than working to help or assist in refugee resettlement, became a pillar in the Palestinian resistance – schools funded by the west, teaching children why they should join the armed struggle against the Jews. UNRWA must be dismantled as part of a comprehensive reworking of the possible ending of this conflict.
The Palestinians themselves are caught in an eternal prison predicated on a non-existent right that must be unravelled. A force created solely for the purpose of destroying Israel against a state of Israel that will not be destroyed. Perpetual statelessness forced on people who should have been given a new home 70 years ago. An identity that is today more virtual than real holding back Palestinians in Ramallah and Jericho from having the freedom of being able to make peace with their neighbours.
The farce of the UNRWA refugee
Look at Jordan. Over one third of Palestinian ‘refugees’ live in Jordan. They have lived there all their lives. They have Jordanian citizenship, they vote in elections and travel freely. The vast majority do not live in camps, with many joining the professional ranks of Jordan’s middle class. These are refugees? It is an insult to the millions of real refugees, survivors from war-torn regions, that exist in the world today. Worse still, it is THESE Palestinian refugees, that receive more aid and recognition than any of the others in the world. Ending this farce is a humanitarian objective that everyone on the left should support. Why should those Jordanians, with their Jordanian passports hold back the Palestinians in Bethlehem?
The Palestinian refugee in 2020 simply should not exist. To highlight the absurdity we can use another example:
- 1. A person who normally resided for just two years in the mandate of Palestine was given the status of Palestinian. As a Palestinian refugee, they are even given special status that makes it hereditary
- 2. A person who has resided in Lebanon for 70 years, is not given the status of Lebanese. Nor are their children and grandchildren who have lived in Lebanon all their lives. Instead they remain abused and denied their rights by the Lebanese.
UNRWA perpetuates this abuse. UNRWA has to go.
Removing the refugees and UNRWA from the equation
Incredibly, so fully has the ‘peace process’ become embedded into the western mindset this underlying truth – the calling out of the Palestinian refugee as a perpetuated myth forged as a weapon – receives pushback even amongst some Zionists. Yet there will be no solving this conflict until this farce is removed from the Middle East.
The evidence is everywhere. It is why they are not building homes in Gaza or Ramallah. Why those living in PA areas are also called refugees. It is all nonsensical UNLESS you see this for what it is. The Palestinian refugee was born into a paradigm of no to normalisation – and they cannot exist outside of it. If we are to move forward and find any accommodation between the Jews of Jerusalem and the Arabs of Ramallah, we have to end these lies.
Support this research
Israel NEEDS our help. This research is unique – and it depends on community support. The results speak for themselves and for five years I have been creating headlines. I engage in research, much of it undercover, into anti-Jewish hatred, anti-Zionism and anti-western extremism. My work is fully independent and this independence is important for the freedom to go where I need to go. The Algemeiner recently named me as one of the J100 (‘top 100 people positively influencing Jewish life’). If you can, please consider making a donation.
You can make PayPal donations using the donate button below.
You can also make a donation via my Patreon page
Every contribution is truly appreciated.
Chant this…
From the River to the Sea,
Pal-e-STINE Will NEVER BE!
Happy 75th Anniversary of VE Day!
Happy Eternal Nakba for Islamofascism!
Nakba? That reminds me.
No ‘Collier research’ into Tory antisemitism. He’s a fraud.
Doesn’t fight antisemitism … he only fights Labour
https://twitter.com/flelizi/status/1211608323100938240
Another good article by you
As long as UNRWA exists it will always oppose any form of settlement, because its entire existence is reliant on a state of conflict existing between Jews and Arabs/Palestinians.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians work for UNRWA, and millions receive charity from UNRWA, and the system of corruption and fiscal abuse this engenders creates a society beholden to those who control the purse strings; so there is no incentive to upset the golden goose that keeps on giving
It’s quite remarkable that with the partition of India between Hindus and Muslims there is no unsolvable refugee problem; here there were possibly fifteen million or more refugees and over a million dead. No UN agencies,no annual India bashing UN events and votes; just a total silence
And there have been many other major refugee crisis without the same virulence and rancour as the ‘Palestinian Refugees’
China occupied Tibet about 70 years ago, and is still occupying Tibet.
There are about a million Uighurs in Chinese reeducation concentration camps.
A deathly silence prevails; not a word, the UN is blind to this
Syria, Yemen, the Congo, Venezuela, and more; the list goes on and on.
The UN keeps its silence, and the rest of the world ignores these situations; but when Israel comes up all hell breaks loose
The only factor that I can find that differentiates the Palestinian issue from all others is the ‘Jewish Component’ in part, or wholly, driven by Antisemitism.
Anti Zionism and Anti-Israelism has become the new Antisemitism
The actual number of Palestinian refugees, as of this day in 2020, numbers maybe in the low five figures’. And that’s being very lenient as far as borderline cases. The “problem” that the eliminationist Pali side and their bootlickers have is that the not-actually-refugees were never Israeli citizens and will never be given Israeli citizenship, so they don’t have restorative rights in any measure. Honestly, I’d prefer it if the Palis went back to Yasser’s old playbook where they wanted to use political pressure to dismantle Israel only because they were too weak to do so via armed conflict. At least that was factual.
Probably close to 100% of those Palestinians–even those who were children–wholeft Palestine in 1948–that is, 72 years ago, are dead or soon to be. The rest are no more refugees than I am. The crux of the problem is that their children, grandchildren, and now even great grand children were never outside Jordan kept prisoners with the connivance of the United Nations and the EU, including that fake repentant for the Holocaust, Germany. I was twice visiting professor in Germany–and though I personally was treated ted extremely well, I become convinced that there had not been any significant change in the German national character–they remain a pushy, domineering people who will take advatage of any foreigners they can get away with. And as for the United Nations, FDR had many positive things to his credit but, to his lasting discredit, fell under the Wilsonian delusion of a new world order. I am old enough to remember how in the aftermath of WWII, the American public schools propaganda agencies for the UN just ass they have become propaganda agencies in support of special privileges f or what are euphemistically called people of color at the expense of everyone else. I have no doubt that the same sickness has prevailed in Britain and continues there. At least in England–if not in Scotland–thrre was sufficient residue of patriotism to get out of the EU.
“a pushy, domineering people “?
Like these bullying scum, John?
https://youtu.be/-p0jOkDgmP8
The pushy, domineering, bullying scum of
9/11, London’s 7/7, Paris’ Charlie Hebdo massacre, Bataclan massacre, Manchester arena massacre, Boston Marathon massacre, thwarted bombers of in-flight passenger planes, Rotherham rape gangs,
Fascist LaBOOR party, Socialist party, Regressive “Progressives”,
Al Qada, ISIS, Taliban, HamASS, Hezbola, Muslim Brotherhood, MSA,…
“F” ’em and YOU too Sharmuta!
Happy Nakba to ALL!
Nakba? That reminds me.
No ‘Collier research’ into Tory antisemitism. He’s a fraud.
Doesn’t fight antisemitism … he only fights Labour
https://twitter.com/flelizi/status/1211608323100938240
You are spamming my site with that link. I will start deleting them.
Thought that you would begin to censor at some stage when your pretence at targeting antisemitism was shown to be deception.
You will of course still allow Edward to treat the Nakba as a fun thing. Were others to do that about other events you would feign indignation.
ARE you a member of the Labour Party, David?
Honest answer?
p.s. the return off the refugees would NOT destroy Israel, it would call into question Israel’s wish to be a democracy. You couldn’t stand a one-man one-vote Israel, you want a false-democracy where there is always an engineered Jewish majority.
stopping you posting the same link 100 times isn’t censorship. It is deleting spam.
Your antiLabour blogs aren’t spam?
Edward’s Nakba digs aren’t spam?
It IS censorship.
ARE you a member of the Labour Party, David?
Honest answer?
Of course it is spam. You present edited footage that shows me talking to a rabid antisemite who thinks the Jews control the police. You present a tiny snippet which shows him holding a microphone and not letting me answer his question. When I tried, he pulls the microphone back – so I gave up. In the full footage which doesn’t interest you because it provides context – everyone can see what happens. You provide the edited link several times on each blog. I am not denying you the right to post it. I am denying you the right to continually repost it. Stop spamming my site with that link. If you wish to, you can link to the full unedited footage.
I’ve stated several times I am a member of the Labour Party. I have clearly been to conference on several occassions. I am not sure what your obsession with my political affiliations is.
I showed a ‘snippet’ that shows you NOT answering the question by saying you weren’t a member of the Tory Party
Have you EVER ‘researched’ antisemitism in the Tory party, David?
I find it amazing that others have been thrown out of Labour for ‘bringing the party into disrepute’ yet yourself and abusive foul-mouthed Hodge attract no sanction.
Do you have a link to the ‘full unedited footage’?
It is from the IAM, so surprisingly it was on the Israel Advocacy Movement’s YT channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpZ6C3LxEVk
“I’ve stated several times I am a member of the Labour Party. I have clearly been to conference on several occasions”
But ARE you a Labour Party member, David? I know your claim.
Do you have a sense of failure from the fact that on the rare occasions David sighs and gives your spam driven attention, he 100% of the time makes you look like the troll failure of space that you are? It’s like, I’ve never been as bad as anything as you are at trying to make your “case” on this board. What’s it like being a living joke with Tourette’s, Muck?
Not at all, Ben.
His video does indeed show that there is no desire in his circle to carry out research into the Israel appeasing Tory Party.
p.s. ‘spam’, ‘Tourette’s’ …. your bit of plagiarism, Ben?
It’s helpful to indicate the place on the political spectrum that the authors have occupied David. Being of the left or right here has been less a political distinction and more a haven from which people have forged careers and sold books, either by appearing strong and intractable or conciliatory and virtuous. You couldn’t be both. In spring of 2014 the left still had relevance with tent cities on Rothschild Boulevard and politicos like Stav Shaffir who, in different times could have got somewhere. Tsuk Eitan ended all of that with the rockets and the tunnels and made leftism, with its policies on the 2SS and a willingness to bend to the Arab demands, an unsustainable luxury commodity. Now the left has all but vanished and its core vote has either shifted to a more centrist position occupied by Gantz or sits at the outer reaches of the political galaxy with Meretz. The big win in all of this is that the centre ground is populated by a far wider constituency and when the rigidity of the old labelling is stripped away, people are liberated to think and write with more open minds. Books like the one you reference are the result.
Israel also:
Bombs its neighbours
Shoots children
Shoots women
Shoots those who have SURRENDERED
Murders civilians
Destroys homes
Destroys neighbour’s schools
Destroys neighbour’s hospitals
Continues to expand into neighbour’s territory
Sharmuta, If Islam is “The Religion of Peace” then explain this….
– 9/11
– 1993 truck bombing of the World Trade Center
– 1968 assassination of US Senator Robert F. Kennedy
– 1972 hijacking of the Summer Olympics in Munich and murder of athletes
– 1981 assassination of Egyptian President and Peace Maker Anwar Sadat
– 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103 which crashed on Lockerbie
– 2005 London’s 7/7 transport massacre
– beheading of Lee Rigby, journalist Daniel Pearl, James Foley and other victims of ISIS
– Boston Marathon bombing
– London and Westminster bridge car ramming attacks
– Manchester arena bombing
– Rotherham rape gangs
– Bastille Day truck ramming attack in Nice France
– massacre at Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in Paris
– massacre at Bataclan music venue
– massacre at Manchester music venue
– massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando
– massacre at Christmas party in San Bernardino
– stabbing to death of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh
– Fascist Irans death threats against writer Salman Rushdie
– 500,000 dead in Syria (Arabs killing Arabs)
– 1,000,000 dead in 8 year Iraq/Fascist Iran war (Muslims killing Muslims)
– Mumbai India massacre
– Nairobi Kenya mall massacre
– Sadaam Husseins poison gassing of the Kurds of Halabja Iraq
– ISIS beheading videos
– Hamass executing gays by pushing them off rooftops in Gaza
– Fascist Iran executing gays by hanging them from construction cranes
– Coptic Christians being murdered in Egypt
– massacre of tourists in Luxor
– Manhattan bike path car ramming attack
– failed sneaker and later underwear suicide bombing of an inflight plane
– failed SUV bombing of Times Square
– public threats on placards of 9/11 scale attacks on the UK and Europe
– Brussels airport bombing
– bombing of USS Cole
– Fort Hood Texas massacre
– foiled attack on Garland Texas conference
– Death threats on creators of South Park cartoon series
– Brooklyn Bridge shooting
– Empire State Building Observation Deck shooting
– Fascist Irans calls for Death to America
– Taliban shooting girls who want an education
– Muslim families stoning their daughters to death over “family honour”
– DC Beltway sniper
– Boko Haram kidnapping and raping girls in Nigeria
– ISIS murdering Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai
– ISIS burning Jordanian pilot to death
– Taliban destroying two 1,500 year old Buddahs in Bamiyan Afghanistan
– ISIS destroying antiquities in Palmyra
– Hezbola and Hamass using children as Human Shields
– Christmas market shooting in Strasbourg France
– Armenian Genocide by the Turks
– 1/15/19 Shabab terrorist attack in Nairobi Kenya
– 2019 Easter Sunday massacre in Sri Lanka
– London Bridge stabbings
Sharmuta, That’s some “Religion of Peace” you got there.
Now GET BACK TO WORK!