The other day I praised Jerrold Nadler–cause he’s a smart guy who voted against the Iraq War. But along with Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Nadler has lately sponsored useless AIPAC-type legislation to recognize the Jewish refugees from Arab countries after ’48:
When virtually all of Israel’s neighbors declared or
supported war on the Jewish state, approximately 850,000 refugees were
forcibly expelled from their homes. Others became political hostages.
In virtually all cases, individual and communal properties were seized
and/or confiscated by governments without any compensation provided.The
Nadler Resolution urges the President to ensure that when the issue of
Middle East refugees is discussed in international forums, any
reference to Palestinian refugees be matched by a similarly explicit
reference to Jewish and other refugee populations.
Israel is dragging its feet on the peace process, and this legislation is the U.S. version–a wrench in the works of the peace process, which must resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees, not Jewish refugees. The only issue with a refugee is, Do they want to go back home? There are, in fact, no homeless or
stateless Jewish refugees from Arab countries. I happen to know an American and an Israeli who were born in Displaced Persons refugee camps in Germany after
WW2. Do they deserve compensation or recognition as refugees? No; they have homes. To say that there is a Jewish refugee
problem is to negate Israel’s success as refuge for all Jews
who chose to live there.
The resolution simply demonstrates how conflicted many American Jews are about the very idea of Israeli-Palestinian
peace. Negotiations haven’t gotten off the ground, and they are coming up with extraneous issues to make agreement impossible.
And what about Ros-Lehtinen? She is a rightwing hawk re Cuba. She wants embargoes and everything else, on behalf of a community that left that country nearly 50 years ago. Maybe Miami Cubans want to go back home too, just like Palestinians. Doesn’t quite add up…
