Many Arabs have taken advantage of this offer. the majority have chosen to live in the Jewish state. Question. What have the Arab States done about the Arab refugees? Answer. It is a sad commentary on the morals of the Arab leaders that they not only have done nothing to relieve the plight of the refugees but. on the contrary. have done everything possible to heighten the problem. It is well to recall that the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (who collaborated with Hitler during the war) urged the Arab States to keep the refugees in the camps and not allow them to rebuild their lives in any Arab country. so that the refugee problem might remain as a political weapon in the hands of Israels foes. The suffering of these thousands of homeless people is thus being used by their brothers for political ends. On January 17. 1954. the magazine section of the New York Times carried two articles on this question. one proIsrael and one proArab. In the latter this was said: "The reasons the * * * villagers cannot resettle elsewhere are economic and psychological. * * * The psychological factors include the refugees deeply rooted belief. encouraged by Arab politicians in Jordan and elsewhere. that they would lose the right to compensation or to return to their former lands if they gave up their status as refugees by accepting resettlement outside Palestine." That is what the Arab leaders tell the refugees in the face of Israels explicit offer to compensate the Arabs for their abandoned property if they will settle in Arab countries. When Arab refugees cross the border of Israel illegally and cause damage. it is said that they are only after food for their children from land rightfully theirs. But the same proArab writer. quoted above. also stated: "At that time (the outbreak of the war) Palestinian Arabs were assured by their leaders that they would soon be able to return to their homes. Now. operating under this convenient cover. professional thieves raid Israel settlements and further accentuate the tensions along the frontier." Question.
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refugee refugees