“Disposing of the Palestinian predicament in Lebanon” By Johnny Kairouz
Johnny Kairouz, a Lebanese living in Canada, has contributed this article to The Beirut Spring. Remember, you too can contribute by checking the “Contribute” section above. Comments are welcome and the Star rating still applies.
“Disposing of the Palestinian predicament in Lebanon” By Johnny Kairouz
The issue tackled here does not imply that the crisis in Lebanon today is solely a Palestinian one. In fact, the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are far from being held responsible for the recent events. Determining the actual culprits is a totally different subject which is anyhow far from being mysterious.
The Palestinian predicament in Lebanon mainly involves the refugees themselves, the Lebanese state, Israel and the Arab countries. All of the concerned parties, except Israel, long for their return to their homeland. Obviously, every faction has its own reasons.
The Palestinian refugees have been in constant dismay and dissatisfaction since their arrival to Lebanon more than five decades ago. The idea of being expelled from their homeland was their first and foremost consternation. Then came the meddling of their paramilitary groups in the maze of Lebanese internal – and external – politics: this era could be denoted as their rise and fall in Lebanon.
The rise was represented by the strong financial and military support they were receiving from international, regional and local actors. While the Soviet Union was provided them with the weapons and the logistics, the Arab countries offered them financial, political and media coverage. Most importantly, a big part of the Lebanese people sided with them.
Their decline started when they were opposed by another big part of the Lebanese people and when consequently Lebanon’s two neighboring countries intervened. This is when the Palestinian civilians started to pay the price of their armed groups’ adventures. Many civilians became victims of atrocious massacres – many of which were a reaction to what their armed groups had committed to other parties.
As a result of their contribution to the civil war, the Palestinians were severely reprimanded by almost everyone in Lebanon. Ever since the Taef Agreements, they were virtually condemned to stagnate in their camps.
The human rights and humanitarian situation they are undergoing is certainly undesirable. They are subject to many restrictions such as building and reconstruction in the twelve overpopulated camps they are confined to. Furthermore, while education is practically out of reach, they are prohibited from practicing more than 72 professions. In other words, their situation is not viable.
Although most of the Lebanese people are against nationalizing them, every group has its own reason. The first opinion, which is also upheld by most of the Arab countries, advocates their “right of return” to their homeland. This staunch Arab nationalist stance views the integration of the Palestinians – into the Lebanese society – as an admission of defeat in their ongoing conflict with Israel.
The second opinion views the settlement of the Palestinians in Lebanon as a destabilizing factor: it would threaten – the already shaky – demographic balance among the different religious communities in Lebanon. This opinion is mainly shared by the Christian and the Shia groups but also by the Sunnis who view them as potential rivals within their own community.
The Lebanese people also view the Palestinian camps as an imminent threat to their national sovereignty. Ever since the Arab-sponsored 1969 Cairo Agreement, the camps’ security is exclusively maintained by their armed element. The absence of the Lebanese Army in these areas has come to be known as “Security Isles” within the Lebanese territory.
The lack of the state’s full control over its territory has allowed several foreign powers to use these “Security Isles” for arms smuggling as well as hindering Lebanon’s internal security. The loose security surrounding some of the camps can allow, for instance, cars to be loaded with explosives in these areas and be sent to potential targets all over Lebanon.
The paramilitary groups in these camps can burst at any moment by reacting to a regional event thus create turmoil in Lebanon. Furthermore, the camps are allegedly being used to recruit and train terrorists who are later on sent on missions to Iraq. By harboring recruit camps, Lebanon is certainly attracting the entire nuisance that comes with it on an international and regional level.
Lebanon has many security deficiencies and not all of them are due to the Palestinian camps. Blaming all of Lebanon’s perils on the Palestinians would be excessively unjust. However the presence of the Palestinian camps does impede the process of building a better future for Lebanon.
For the three reasons stated above – the right of return; the demographic issue and; the security aspect – a solution certainly needs to be fostered. Without any doubt, the Palestinian civilians must have more rights and benefit from social welfare. The only problem is that Lebanon has – literally – other fish to fry.
Because unfortunately Lebanon cannot afford to grant the Palestinian refugees the treatment they deserve, because unluckily they have been used as scapegoats more than often and because their situation has been increasingly unbearable to them and to Lebanon, a radical decision is needed.
The matter has been procrastinated for years and maybe today is an auspicious time to deal with it once and for all. Lebanon has offered them shelter for more than half a century. Lebanon has also contributed its considerable share in the Arab-Israeli conflict. It’s now time for other Arab countries to offer the deprived refugees what Lebanon could not afford but that they sure can: Land, rights and money.
The resettlement of the Palestinians to other Arab countries will be a win-win situation. Lebanon will get rid of one of the major obstacles that are impeding the implementation of a strong sovereign state and the Palestinian civilians will have a better prospect in obtaining a brighter future pending to their hopeful return to their land.
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35 comments for ““Disposing of the Palestinian predicament in Lebanon” By Johnny Kairouz”
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Hello, my name is Mustapha and I blog in The Beirut Spring about Lebanese society and politics. I started in February 2005 after the killing of P.M. Rafik Hariri.
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…and if you close your eyes, tap your glittery red shoes together and wish it, you’ll be back in Kansas.
Maybe the UAE can donate one of their gulf palm islands to their refugiees brothers ?
Jordan will not make the same mistake twice. They kicked them out in the 60’s for their own national security and maybe because it was a Sunni King who did it no uproar was caused.
Saudi is still dealing with their own in grown Qaeda “death to the King” crowd. I doubt they will add pepper to this already spicy mix. Ditto for Egypt with their own brotherhood $%^&.
Hmmmmm…. how about those Shebaa organique farms?
How about Golan Heights?? Anon, you’re really ridiculous.
I honestly believe Syria and Egypt are the best candidates; they have excellent military control, they’re close enough and they can apply for sponsorship loans from other Arab states that allow the transfer.
Z.H. It was a joke bro. My point is why would any country volunteer as a recipient of a potentially cancerous cell considering the prone to cancer middle east we seem to share. And some parts are already in a metasticised (sorry if mispelled) stage.
Sorry the metaphore upset u.
no,the palestinians cannot keep moving as if they are gypsies.If they cant go back to theeir homeland due to Arab failure and zionist rejection,then the other viable option is integrating into the rest of society.Some might kick and scream to that statement,both Palestinian and Lebanese,but for every purpose,be it,humanitarian,security,welfare,economy,health,education,etc.
This is a must for all sides,because the status quo does not favour any side,not even the Isrealis.
I do agree with Kairuz’s brilliant commentary,in particular,Lebanon does have other fish to fry for now,but the Palestinian agenda must be addressed sooner or later,and that means the removal of all camps in lebanon.
I think they have to be integrated into Lebanese society, just as the Jewish refugees from Arab countries have been integrated in Israel.
How about granting Lebanese citizenship to those born in Lebanon this century? Or from 2010 onward?
They should not be integrated to society. Lebanon paid a dear enough price, and it is out of question that we continue to pay. We’ve done enough, now it is time for others to chip in.
Let me be very clear, any settlement attempts will re-start a civil war. No ifs and buts and maybes and what ifs. Settle them –> civil war. Period.
They will certainly be part of a larger trade-off. The Christians could agree to their naturalization if they get a federation for example.
Anyway, they must be compensated by Israel if they are not going to return. They could use that money to settle elsewhere.
Johnny,
What are “the other fish to fry?”, and what does that have to do with giving the refugees civil and social rights?
“They should not be integrated to society. Lebanon paid a dear enough price, and it is out of question that we continue to pay. We’ve done enough, now it is time for others to chip in.”
Well, it appears “tap glittery red shoes together” option looks as most realistic at this point. In the mean time Lebanon will continue to have what it is having.
Well, giving the Palestinian refugees citinzship is not a bad option after all. Thet’d be living in Sunni areas (Tripoli, Beirut) anyways, so I don’t understand the big fuss about this. I mean look at Jordan, they contributed a lot to that country and nearly built it from scratch. Today Jordan enjoys a 7% rate of economic growth…. Why not in Lebanon ?
I think giving the Palestinians social rights is a must and makes sense in many ways. Lebanon has a need for cheap labor. In the same time it will allow to redistribute the salaries we pay them in our national economy instead of exporting them to Syria, Sri Lanka or any country we import cheap sources of unqualified labor from.
However, granting the Palestinians political rights and the Lebanese nationality would compromise the fragile equilibrium between the several actors in the country and necessarily lead to tension (probably armed conflict) between them.
In the same time, Israel and the rest of the Arab and international community need to have a more open stance on the problem if they want stability for the region. But that is the main problem, there is no will from any party concerned to solve the solution.
The Israelis do not want to recognize their historical responsibility in this problem. The Arabs are exploiting it for selfish purposes and the Western world could not care less.
So, I frankly don’t see how this problem will be solved. Let nobody forget that the Palestinians are not in these camps willingly and would choose a better future if they could. But no one, and especially not the Israelis seem to ever want to grant them the right to leave normally and in dignity.
The Palestinians cannot be naturalized in Lebanon because they will disturb the demographic balance, but they should be granted basic rights such as owning a house and applying for qualified jobs. Putting them in slums only increases social and security problems.
to hell with the demographic balance,lebanon is trying to transcend above the confessional and sectarian fault-lines…In its quest for a secular state,the fault lines are disapearing,so integrating the palestinians into society and given them equal opportunity serves in that favour,while keeping them in a ghetto style,impoverished environment makes them susceptible to religious fanaticsm,and highlights their attachment to a religious/confessional identity.
I think they should definatly be integrated into lebanese society, to improve the intellect of that so called society, actually , they will be able to establish a society in lebanon for a change
They are welcome to my numerous properties which I left in Baghdad - when the situation calms down or course. I’m sure many Jews from Arab countries would gladly offer their abandoned properties to the Palestinians.
and who’s going to help lebanon finance and support the integration of 400,000+ new residents? the lebanese themselves don’t have access to basic welfare services! it’s a terrible situation that the palestinians have been in but it is not the problem of lebanon or the lebanese. as mentioned above, there are far more wealthier and roomier countries that can accomodate the palestinians. lebanon on the other hand is a country that is still politically and economically unstable. besides, before thinking of granting the palestinians citizenship, how about giving it to the children of lebanese women, born in lebanon yet to non-lebanese fathers. let’s start looking after our own backyard first.
Funny, no body is talking about the elephant in the room. In 1945-1950 there were about 20.000 to 30.000 Jews in Lebanon. Now there are? After seeing the ekephant let us dream: The Leb. government is declaring, unilaterraly that it is ready to talk with Israel, defacto not dejure, without recognition without preconditions on three isses together. 1) That it is ready to grant the 1948 Pal. in Lebanon the same rights that the Arabs of 1948 are getting in Israel. 2) That it is ready to compensate the ex Jews of Lebanon or their relatives if and when Israel 3) will compensate every Palestinian in Lebanon who agree to 1. Nice dream.
Lebanon was the only ‘arab’ country where the Jewish population boomed after 1948, because of immigration from other neighbouring countries. The Jewish population started to decrease in the last 60’s, because of the rise of the Palestinian militias and their local allies. The Lebanese state never implemented discriminatory policies against its Jewish citizens, although it failed to protect them.
And note that a significant part of the Jews who used to live in Lebanon were not Lebanese citizens, since they came after 1948.
It’s ironic when the Lebanese say the Palestinian refugees should not be awarded full rights, lest it disturbs the ethnic/religious balance in Lebanon - all that while saying Israel should take them back (i.e., ignoring exactly the same problem Israelis have).
For those of you who don’t know: There were about an equal number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands as there have been Arab refugees from Israel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_exodus_from_Arab_lands
So yes, we can talk compensation to all the refugees, from both sides, but I’m afraid it will mean more money flowing to Israel than the other way - the Jews who fled Arab countries were on average better off than the Arabs who fled - and therefore are likely to have had owned more property to be compensated for…
The sooner Lebanon starts treating the Palestinian refugees as human beings and not as trash tucked away in “security isles” and the sooner those refugees are given basic human rights, the closer Lebanon will come to realizing its own humanity (or the lack thereof). Until then, any discussion of exporting the Palestinians to other countries is just a futile attempt to mask the simple fact that those refugees are not going anywhere, not now, not never. Perhaps Lebanon needs to learn to live with this fact.
Why should lebanon have to absorb such a number of refugees? This is an arab issue, not just a Lebanese issue. Lebanon took the Palestinians in as good will during the many wars the Arabs and the Isrealis fought. It’s time for the other Arab countries to do their part. Absolutely no other option. PERIOD.
Ali, think before you speak and do your homework before you argue.
Current Palestinian refugees officially registered with UNRWA:
Jordan 1,827,877 refugees
Gaza 986,034 refugees
West Bank 699,817 refugees
Syria 432,048 refugees
Lebanon 404,170 refugees
Saudi Arabia 240,000 refugees
Egypt 70,245 refugees
On top of these numbers many Palestinians were granted either citizenship or permanent residency status in countries like Jordan & Syria and are allowed to live and work like humans. What has Lebanon done to those refugees except make their lives more miserable? and now you want to ship them out again? Frankly I think they’d be better off under Israeli occupation. But then again, they are not going anywhere anytime soon, so either learn to live with it, or just exterminate them.
Syria has 1.5 to 2 million Iraqi refugees. Jordan has hundreds of thousands. I don’t see either country agreeing to accept any more Palestinians than it already has.
The solution has to be multi-faceted. The Gulf States can and should accept more Palis, but Lebanon should let the Palis economically integrate. To not let the Palis economically integrate is self-defeating. Israel is a fait accompli. Sorry.
We are not the ones who turned the Palestinians into the Arabs’ political football, the Arabs themselves did that, thank you very much! So, why should we be made to bear the brunt of the Arabs’ irresponsible and silly games and the Palestinians’ demographic explosion (some 600,000 thousand souls already in Lebanon by some estimates.)
My humane side would say “settle the poor buggers, naturalize them, and turn them into useful Lebanese citizens…” (afterall, Israel took in and rehabilitated over 1 million Jews who were dispossessed from their homes, businesses, lives, and livelyhoods in Arab lands…) But then again, this is an Arab, not a Lebanese issue;
–it is the Arabs who played “population exchanges” with the Israelis, not us!
–It was the Arabs who waged silly wars they couldn’t win against the Israelis, not us! (In fact, the Arabs have always had the luxury of raining their righteous indignation on us for never having engaged in idiotic armed confrontations with Israel Arabistani-style –ya3né bil hawbara wel 3antariyyéé and empty rhetoric.)
–and finally, this is LEBANON (4015 sq. mi) we’re talking about folks, not Saudi’s al-rub3 el-Khaaly (865,000 sq. mi), not Syria’s throbbin’ heart of Arabism and the Palestinians prime “champion”–yeah right–in the region (71,500 sq. mi.), not Iraq (169,000 sq. mi.), and not Jordan (aka Palestine, 35,000 sq. mi.)
Bottom line, this is not an issue of demography and sectarian equilibriums! This is purely a “space,” “overpopulation”, “logistics” and “housekeeping” issue. Let those who have been flexing their limp muscles on behalf of the Palestinians, and making empty threats (about razing Israel from the map of the Middle East and other such silly bluster) on behalf of the Palestinians, and screaming until they’re blue in the face about the sacredness of their Palestinians etc…, let THOSE fair-weather friends and cowardly “brotherly Arabs” give shelter to, and naturalize, their Palestinians.
It’s easy for Saudis, Syrians, Iraqis, and others to pontificate about what Lebanon should and should not do for the Palestinians. I say let them direct their indignation at themselves. Lebanon has done more than its share when you factor in its size, demographics, resources, committment (or lack thereof), and time and energy (or lack thereof) for Arab causes.
Folks!, YOU take the Palestinians if you don’t like the way Lebanon has been treating them!
ma bi7ikk jildak illa Difrak, so take them home into YOUR home, and show them some genuine Arabian hospitality in YOUR home, not mine.
yalla ciao yamo!
I beleive that we should draft a law especially executed to deal with the Palestians . Such Bill of Rights will allow them to live and work freely in Lebanon without the right to vote or to obtain a Lebanese citizenship and to own more than one house and NO Land ownership. And for them to pay taxes and social security just like the lebanese do so that will allow them to join our schools and unis without discrimination. SO a Lebanese Green Card. Shipping them anywhere else is simplistic and naive. If it was that easy they would have left the country ages ago.
WHAT ALL THE ARABS SEEM NOT TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT ISRAEL IS HOME - THE LAND BELONGS TO THEM
THE PHILLISTINES BELONG IN GAZA DOWN TO EGYPT - ALONG THE SEA
WHEN THE OTHER ARABS BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THAT ISRAEL IS HOME - AND WILL GO NUCLEAR BEFORE LEAVING (2000 YEARS IS A LONG TIME TO BE AWAY FROM HOME)
AND WELCOME THEM HOME AS FAMILY
WHAT ALL THE ARABS SEEM NOT TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT ISRAEL IS HOME - THE LAND BELONGS TO THEM
THE PHILLISTINES BELONG IN GAZA DOWN TO EGYPT - ALONG THE SEA
WHEN THE OTHER ARABS BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THAT ISRAEL IS HOME - AND WILL GO NUCLEAR BEFORE LEAVING (2000 YEARS IS A LONG TIME TO BE AWAY FROM HOME)
AND WELCOME THEM HOME AS FAMILY…THEN WE MAY ACTUALLY HAVE PEACE
1)Lebanon should make peace w/Israel, and thus change the Syria paradigme. 2)The refugees should be given citizenship in Lebanon but not allowed to settle as a group in one place.3) The very oil rich Arab countries should be responsible for the bills and help the Palestinians integrate into civil society. The Palestinians have suffered enough and are being abused and constantly, mercilessly punished by their irresponsible leaders and the Arab countries who have used them as pawns……..
You are completely right, I think that the arab countries, that “supposedly” and constantly (since 1948) defended the palestinan cause and their right to return to their land, should start thinking of helping the palestinian refugees in Lebanon by hosting them in their countries instead of meddling in our internal affairs and spending their money on either cars, terrorism or irrelevant spending.
You are completely right, I think that the arab countries, that “supposedly” and constantly (since 1948) defended the palestinan cause and their right to return to their land, should start thinking of helping the palestinian refugees in Lebanon by hosting them in their countries instead of meddling in our internal affairs and spending their money on either cars, terrorism or irrelevant spending.
The Palestinian refugee crisis is a problem we have to solve, but if people continue trying to deal with it with their guns and arms it will never come to a solution….
shirin-from-lebanon.blogspot.com
[...] Johnny Kairouz, a Lebanese living in Canada, has contributed this article to The Beirut Spring. [...]
I read that Kuwait only contributed $30,000 to the UNRWA fund in 2006. If Kuwait gives that little, it’s difficult to believe that they are going to accept tens of thousands of super-fertile Palestinian people.
Lebanon will have to come up with its own solution to the Palestinian problem.
Informative article on UNRWA and the world’s only permanent refugees:
http://www.azure.org.il/magazine/magazine.asp?id=274