Speech #900104740

The strike indicates the kind of behavior one could expect en masse if Israel tried to absorb some millions of Arabs. That behavior might range from civil disobedience. such as we saw in Jerusalem. or guerrilla warfare. such as was conducted for years from the Gaza Strip. The Arab refugees are restless. They are being stirred up. They may soon be contributing actively. as they have in the past. to instability in the Middle East. Four years ago. I visited Israel and I made an extensive study of the refugees living under United Nations jurisdiction on the Israel frontiers. I warned then that "unless the United States takes the initiative. another decade will find that the Palestine Arab refugees have become even more institutionalized and more difficult to integrate." I made 10 recommendations for the purpose of restoring fluidity to the situation. They were not followedwith a result that we all knowanother round of destructive war. I visited Israel again last month and found the situation much worse than before. Millions of dollars had been spent. most of them by the United States. to sustain the refugees. But the years brought no improvement. Conditions have obviously become more threatening and all our money and efforts have been wasted. I repeat now that the United States must act If war Is not again to be the fruit of our efforts. Mr. Speaker. it is against our national interest to allow the current refugee situation to continue. deteriorating as it does week by week. If the volatile situation in the Middle East explodes once more. the price may be much heavier for all of us. I believe we cannot afford. no matter what the cost. to permit the current refugee problem to rigidify. as it did after the 1948 war. Solutions obviously become more difficult. Mr.