The Palestinian problem
Re “Lebanon’s Palestinians live in limbo,” May 28
In describing the plight of refugee Palestinians living in Lebanon, The Times puts its finger on the cause of much Middle East unrest: “Palestinians who fled present-day Israel in 1948 and their descendants have lived inside about a dozen ghettos” scattered throughout Lebanon.
Left unsaid was that they fled from Israeli terror tactics aimed at driving them out of their ancestral lands. Until these and other refugee Palestinians are allowed to return to the land from which they were unjustly driven by Israel and enfranchised with a vote, there will be no peace in the Middle East.
Demographics (larger Palestinian birthrate, no large-scale Jewish immigration into Israel) and righteous Arab determination to reverse the abhorrent injustice make this outcome inevitable.
JAMES P. GRAHAM
Agoura Hills
*
The article gives a very good description of the situation of Arab refugees in Arab lands, particularly in Lebanon. What is missing is why the Arab League decided that the Arab refugees of 1948 would not be absorbed. Instead, they have been maintained as a political card. Jews from all Arab lands were absorbed by Israel upon arrival. Only Palestinians have had a refugee agency at the United Nations for so long. All other refugees end up absorbed into their new country of residence.
ALBERT REINGEWIRTZ
San Diego
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
