While there are conflicting reports as to the specific process, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu contacted the Trump White House roughly two weeks ago, and told them his official stance was to support a complete defunding of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the aid agency for Palestinian refugees. The US fully defunded UNRWA Friday.
This was a substantial change in Israel’s position, and indeed former US Ambassador Dan Shapiro said Monday he’s hearing Israeli officials insist they didn’t want UNRWA defunded, but rather for the US to push Israel-favored reforms on the agency.
That was Israel’s position for years, long insisting the UNRWA was “flawed” and needed to abandon the notion that the millions of Palestinian refugees would ever be allowed to return to their homes.
Netanyahu had claimed this position in the past too, but suggestions are that he unilaterally shifted to defunding recently, and circumvented the traditional channels to inform the White House of this change. This meant the defunding was a surprise for many in Israel, and so was the official Israeli statement applauding the move.
Netanyahu’s office has remained tight-lipped about specifics on this, but the suggestion that he did this without consulting the rest of the cabinet could be an embarrassment. Likewise, the revelation that the US defunding came almost immediately after a call from Netanyahu to do so will spin this as an Israel-driven policy.
These were refugees seventy years ago, and now their descendants. Enough is enough.
Agree. Let them back into their homes in Israel immediately.
You need to remove the illegal occupants first-send them back to Europe!!!or the USA!!
Exactly. Send them back to Minsk, Pinsk and Miami Beach.
The problem for you that there is Jewish army with Jewish tanks and Jewish nukes. who will never again
allow themselves to be kicked out of their homes.The problem for you is that most of the people living in Israel were born there.
The dust bin of history is littered with unconquerable capitals, unsinkable ships and 1000 year Reichs. The Outremar lasted 100 years; how long will the Zionist entity last? The israelis need to keep their other passports handy.
All living things die,all mountains crumble into dust. Meanwhile the Jewish people have maintained their identity for 3,000 years, and have returned home. By the way, the term Zionist entity is a deliberate offense.I know its hard for you, but just say “Israel”.
Occupied Palestine?
I know that is hard for you to fathom, but most of the Jewis hpeople living in Israel were born there, not in Europe or the USA. times moves on. Why don’t you go to Israel and tell the people to leave
It is time for the Europeans to recognize that the gypsies among them are human beings and treatt hem with dignity. Clean your own houses before you criticize others. And by the way,most of the Jews now living in Israel were born there. By the way, it is time for the Europeans to leave their homes and return Europe to its rightful owners, the Neanderthal peoples.
And how many Arabs were born within the Green Line, in occupied east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza? Give them the right to vote and give them equal rights.
The Portuguese peoples should leave Brazil , go back to Europe, and leave Brazil for the Native Americans. The People in Portugal should pay reparations to the descendants of the victims of the Inquisition
The situations are by no means similar. Portuguese language and culture are central to the lives of almost all Brasilians. On the other hand, the number of Jews and the number of Palestinians between the River and the Sea are equal (although there are perhaps more Christians and Muslims), but only one group has political power.
The European Portuguese imported slaves from Africa, raped, colonized, and genocided the native peoples.They created the Brazilian Mastiff to terrorize and kill other peoples. Today, they control most of the wealth in Brazil. How many light skinned peoples live in the Favelas? Of course it is wrong to expel them, just as it is wrong to expel the Jews of Israel to some places you so mockingly and cruelly mentioned. Both sides must come to recognize the humanity of the other and work out a modus vivendi
The UN has been paying for things that would otherwise be a burden on Israel to pay.
However, after these many years, Israel is not going to step up. What will happen if the refugees are left in an impossible position?
Look to Syria to see what will happen. They’ll go to Europe. Then in time they’ll help shape European policy toward Israel.
What happens to anyone that is left in a impossible position . It is impossible so you have to make changes
Nutty say, and Trumpy do. Perfect.
It is easy to see whom Trump obeys the fastest . Netanyahu asks Trump and he responds next week Putin ask Trump to stop paying the Syrian rebels it takes 4 month before Trump stop paying .
If the 700,000 refugees that left when Isreali’s begged them to stay and help stop the foreign invaders They chose to leave of their own free will . The Arabs that stayed in Israel are still there . Now the the Arabs that left want to return to their homes . I wonder how many of them have paid the yearly taxes on their homes for the last 70 years . not many I bet .Unless they had very big houses it might get a little crowded because they now say there are about fifty of them for every one that ran .
Poor eric-propaganda is easy to digest when you have decided to accept it.
Been an idiot all your life or is this something new for you, little eric ?
“They chose to leave of their own free will .”
Total hogwash. Here is what future Israeli MP Rabin said about expelling 50,000 Arabs from their homes in Lydda and Ramleh:
“….we had to grapple with a troublesome problem…the fate of the civilian population of Lod and Ramle, numbering some 50,000.
Not even Ben‐Gurion could offer any solution, and during the discussions at operational headquarters, he remained silent, as was his habit in such situations…..We walked outside, Ben‐Gurion accompanying us. Alton repeated his question: ‘What is to be done with the population?’ B.G. waved his hand in a gesture which said, ‘Drive them out!’
Allon and I held a consultation. I agreed that it was essential to drive the inhabitants out.”
I’m just waiting for the real T.rump to stand up after his 2nd term in the office. Cause you’d think his marching orders are coming from somewhere else.
Bibi does whatever he wants and Trump obeys. To pretend Putin has some sort of influence is laughable.
wow its like washington takes orders from Israel!