I'm not telling you anything new when I say that the Israelis and Palestinians have been having a difficult time reaching a full peace agreement. We know about the problems involving the status of Jerusalem, the settlements, the acceptance of Israel, and the guarantees for security. However, not too many people realize that there has been another difficult problem to overcome -- whether Palestinians who left their homes during the 1948 conflict have a right to return to their abandoned land, much of it which has been in Israel proper for over 60 years. Before providing details of this disagreement, let's have a look at a recent history of similar cases throughout the world. This will provide context to the discussion.
Refugees and population exchanges, both forced and voluntary, can be found throughout history, but here is a review of instances that have occurred in more modern times, particularly ones that happened close in time to the Arab-Israel conflict that caused the Palestinian problem in the first place, since those would be most relevant.
Central Europe (1944-1951)
As World War II was ending, and for a few years after the war concluded, Germans were forced out of lands occupied by the Soviet Armed Forces. The Potsdam Accord, signed by the U.S., Great Britain, and the USSR (and later France), codified and legalized the forced transfer of populations. It is estimated that as many as 16.5 million Germans were expelled from German lands annexed by Poland, and from other East European nations. About 2.1 million persons died during the transfers. In fact, Königsberg/East Prussia (German territory with an indigenous German population for over 700 years) is today known as Kalingrad, an integral part of Russia, with a Russian population, even though it is a parcel of land not even connected to Russia.
The Stuttgart Charter of the German Expellees specifically renounces revenge and violence. In 1950, the Charter of the German Expellees proclaimed that the expellees are committed to the peaceful reconstruction of Europe, and they pledged never to use violent means to achieve their rights to their former homelands. The German refugees were absorbed by Germany.
It is estimated that millions of non-Germans were also forced to relocate during this time. The largest numbers were the forced expulsion of 2.1 million Poles (from Polish areas annexed by the USSR) and 450,000 Ukrainians (from Poland). The Polish refugees were absorbed by Poland, and the Ukrainian refugees were absorbed by Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union).
India/Pakistan (1947)
Just one year before the Arab-Israeli War, the departing British Government, as well as the emerging Governments of India and Pakistan, agreed that over 7 million Muslims would depart Hindu-dominated areas for Muslim areas, and an approximately equal number of Hindus and Sikhs would leave Muslim-dominated areas for Hindu areas. It is estimated that at many as 1 million people from all the groups were killed during violence that erupted during the population transfer. The Muslim refugees were absorbed by Pakistan, and the Hindu and Sikh refugees were absorbed by India.
Cyprus (1974)
In 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, and a Greco-Turkish population exchange ensued between the northern and southern sections of the island, involving 200,000 people. The Greek refugees were absorbed by Cyprus and Greece, and the Turkish refugees were absorbed by the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus and by Turkey.
Turkish areas in red
Dots (1960) Solid (1974)
Greece/Turkey (1923-29)
The Cypriot population exchange between Greeks and Turks was actually the second time these groups were involved in the same century. Based on the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, and under the auspices of the League of Nations, and overseen by Nobel Peace Prize winner Fridtjof Nansen, both Greece and Turkey agreed to mutually transfer populations, including a significant number of persons who did not want to relocate. Up to 2 million Greeks were expelled or fled from Turkey, and about half a million Turks were removed from Greece. Cyprus was not included in this agreement because it was under British control. However, some argue that because Cyprus did not participate in the 1923 forced transfers, it resulted in the similar event 51 years later. In 1923, the Greek refugees were absorbed by Greece, and the Turkish refugees were absorbed by Turkey.
Even the 1923 transfer was based on another formal agreement a few years previously. In 1919, the Treaty of Neuilly provided for 46,000 Greeks from Bulgaria and 96,000 Bulgarians from Greece to switch countries. In many cases, this was not a voluntary exercise. The Greek refugees were absorbed by Greece, and the Bulgarian refugees were absorbed by Bulgaria.
Croatia/Serbia (1995)
The Krajina area of Croatia had a majority of Serbs living in the area. During the Balkan wars of the early 1990's, the Krajina Serbs rebelled against Croatia, but the Croatian Armed Forces won the conflict, and approximately 200,000 Serbs -- about 35% of the Serbian population in Croatia -- fled to Serb-majority areas in Bosnia, and to Serbia proper. The Serbian refugees were absorbed by Bosnia and Serbia.
Palestine/Israel (1948-72)
Okay, now back to the Palestine/Israel "right of return" issue. It seems that there have been a number of significant population exchanges during recent times, some of them involving much higher numbers of refugees, and even millions of deaths. In many of these cases, international law actually supported the forced expulsion of populations, and various nations condoned the practice.
During the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, approximately 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from lands that were to become part of the Israeli state. However, between 1948-1972, up to 1 million Jews fled or were expelled from Palestinian areas and Arab countries. At the Lausanne Conference of 1949, Israel actually offered to allow 100,000 Palestinians to return -- in exchange for peace -- but the Palestinian authorities and the Arab countries rejected the offer.
The Jewish refugees were absorbed by Israel; however, the Palestinian refugees were not absorbed by any Arab country. Instead, they were forced to live in refugee camps. In fact, during the intervening 60+ years since the transfer of populations, the number of Palestinians confined to the camps is believed to have reached as much as 4 million (including those in Palestinian areas). The Arab countries have refused to provide the Palestinians with citizenship papers, and they are often prohibited from gaining productive means of living or buying land, and they are usually restricted in moving about the country where they reside. The Arab countries have refused to absorb their fellow Palestinian Arabs, even though they share the same culture, language, and religion. Instead, they contend that Israel, the only Jewish state in the world, whose main language is Hebrew and whose present Jewish population is about 6 million, should absorb these 4 million unfortunates.
Refugees and population exchanges, both forced and voluntary, can be found throughout history, but here is a review of instances that have occurred in more modern times, particularly ones that happened close in time to the Arab-Israel conflict that caused the Palestinian problem in the first place, since those would be most relevant.
Central Europe (1944-1951)
As World War II was ending, and for a few years after the war concluded, Germans were forced out of lands occupied by the Soviet Armed Forces. The Potsdam Accord, signed by the U.S., Great Britain, and the USSR (and later France), codified and legalized the forced transfer of populations. It is estimated that as many as 16.5 million Germans were expelled from German lands annexed by Poland, and from other East European nations. About 2.1 million persons died during the transfers. In fact, Königsberg/East Prussia (German territory with an indigenous German population for over 700 years) is today known as Kalingrad, an integral part of Russia, with a Russian population, even though it is a parcel of land not even connected to Russia.
The Stuttgart Charter of the German Expellees specifically renounces revenge and violence. In 1950, the Charter of the German Expellees proclaimed that the expellees are committed to the peaceful reconstruction of Europe, and they pledged never to use violent means to achieve their rights to their former homelands. The German refugees were absorbed by Germany.
It is estimated that millions of non-Germans were also forced to relocate during this time. The largest numbers were the forced expulsion of 2.1 million Poles (from Polish areas annexed by the USSR) and 450,000 Ukrainians (from Poland). The Polish refugees were absorbed by Poland, and the Ukrainian refugees were absorbed by Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union).
India/Pakistan (1947)
Cyprus (1974)
Turkish areas in red
Dots (1960) Solid (1974)
Greece/Turkey (1923-29)
Greece/Bulgaria (1919)
Even the 1923 transfer was based on another formal agreement a few years previously. In 1919, the Treaty of Neuilly provided for 46,000 Greeks from Bulgaria and 96,000 Bulgarians from Greece to switch countries. In many cases, this was not a voluntary exercise. The Greek refugees were absorbed by Greece, and the Bulgarian refugees were absorbed by Bulgaria.
Croatia/Serbia (1995)
Serb areas in blue
Palestine/Israel (1948-72)
Okay, now back to the Palestine/Israel "right of return" issue. It seems that there have been a number of significant population exchanges during recent times, some of them involving much higher numbers of refugees, and even millions of deaths. In many of these cases, international law actually supported the forced expulsion of populations, and various nations condoned the practice.
The Jewish refugees were absorbed by Israel; however, the Palestinian refugees were not absorbed by any Arab country. Instead, they were forced to live in refugee camps. In fact, during the intervening 60+ years since the transfer of populations, the number of Palestinians confined to the camps is believed to have reached as much as 4 million (including those in Palestinian areas). The Arab countries have refused to provide the Palestinians with citizenship papers, and they are often prohibited from gaining productive means of living or buying land, and they are usually restricted in moving about the country where they reside. The Arab countries have refused to absorb their fellow Palestinian Arabs, even though they share the same culture, language, and religion. Instead, they contend that Israel, the only Jewish state in the world, whose main language is Hebrew and whose present Jewish population is about 6 million, should absorb these 4 million unfortunates.
Flight of Jewish populations from Arab & Muslim Countries
and
Palestinian Refugees Unabsorbed in Arab Countries
(click maps to enlarge)
and
Palestinian Refugees Unabsorbed in Arab Countries
(click maps to enlarge)
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