In view of Arab declarations. it is no wonder that 1.7 million Israelis are fearful of the results of arming their 40 million avowed enemies. Sources of tension between the Arabs and Israelis are numerous. The plight of the 800.000 refugees who fled Palestine during the war is perhaps the most formidable. Two hundred thousand Palestine Arabs now squat in the Gaza strip. within sight of their former homes. over 450.000 are in Jordan. a physically poor country which welcomed its fellow Arabs but is having great difficulty absorbing them into the economy. Syria and Lebanon also have sizable numbers of Palestine refugees. Israel has offered the refugees compensation for their land. while the Arabs are holding out for repatriation. With the combined purpose of easing the refugee situation and improving the economic situation in the Middle East. the United States and the United Nations have been urging a plan to harness the rivers of the Jordan Valley to provide irrigated land and power in Jordan. Syria. Lebanon. and Israel.
Keywords matched
refugee refugees