On the Naqba

Posted on May 14, 2008 by thestateofblog

From Daoud Kuttab (far right)

What Palestinians want is for Israel to admit its historic and moral role in creating the refugee problem and its moral responsibility to them. Such an admission by a courageous Israeli leader would satisfy, and neutralize, many Palestinians who hold their keys and demand the literal right of return. As part of a bilateral agreement, surely Israel would allow divided Palestinian families to reunite with relatives who stayed in what became Israel after 1948.

These or similar suggestions cannot be implemented alone. They must be part of a comprehensive agreement that includes real Israeli withdrawal and the creation of a sovereign, viable Palestinian state with territorial contiguity within the 1967 borders.

The State Of . . . Peace in the Middle East. The path to resolution is the admission of wrongs by Israel and Palestine. Palestine, unfairly, has too often been the target in western media as the side opposing peace. This perception has to end.

The Naqba is what Palestinians call the catastrophe that befell them in 1948.

Filed under: History

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5 Responses to “On the Naqba”

  1. Dina, on May 14th, 2008 at 11:20 am Said:

    The key to peace is way more than admitting wrongs and saying sorry. It is permitting people to return to their homes that were stolen, it means ending the settlements that continue to be built on stolen land, it means the destruction of the apartheid wall, it means the free movement of people instead of imprisoning them in concentration camps euphemistically referred to as “refugee camps”. And, while Zionism is America’s religion, none of that is likely to happen.

  2. paul, on May 14th, 2008 at 11:57 am Said:

    Here is my peace solution……Move Israel to to Alaska…they can have it.

  3. Big J, on May 14th, 2008 at 12:00 pm Said:

    Co-sign with Dina. “I’m sorry” is not enough.

  4. Dina, on May 14th, 2008 at 12:03 pm Said:

    Funny Paul. Do you know that the original plans considered moving the Jews to either Uganda or a part of Argentina, if I remember correctly?

  5. pres, on May 14th, 2008 at 4:33 pm Said:

    Looks like Dina has an understanding of the issues.

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