9 - The Arab Refugee Problem

Summary

The Arab claim is that the Palestinian refugees were illegally expelled by Israel or fled from fear of illegal Israeli actions. The Israeli position is that the refugees fled because they were caught in an armed conflict caused by the aggression of Arab armed attempts to prevent the creation of a Jewish state. As to a “right of return,” the Arab position is that such a right exists in international law, and although many refugees may not wish to return, they have the right to do so. The Israel legal position under international law as being that neither under the general international conventions, nor under the major UN resolutions, nor under the relevant agreements between the parties, do the Palestinian refugees have a right to return to Israel. There does not appear to be any legal precedent or the claim that descendants of refugees also have a right of return. In accordance with international law, the refugees are entitled to be compensated for property they left in Israel. The Jews who fled Arab States are also entitled to such compensation; Israel’s position is that such mutual claims will have to be negotiated in a multilateral forum.