The Palestinian Fight for a Homeland

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The Palestinian Fight for a Homeland

The Palestinian refugee issue has its origins in the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 and the eruption of the Arab-Israeli war that accompanied this. During this period, some three-quarters of a million Palestinians left their homes within what was to become the state of Israel to seek refuge in the (Jordanian controlled) West Bank, the (Egyptian-controlled) Gaza Strip, Syria, Lebanon and further afield. When Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza in June 1967, a further 300,000 fled these areas for neighboring countries. (Brynan, 1998, p. )

Since the declaration of an Israeli state in 1948 and all the Arab-Israeli conflicts that have followed, the Palestinians have gradually lost their grip on what used to be their homeland and are still fighting for it today. As stated above, many fled to neighboring countries for safety, but many stayed within Israel and its Occupied Territories. According to Ewan W. Anderson, (2000, p. 112 ) after the 1967 conflict and the acquisition of more Palestinian land by the Israelis, 1.1 million Arabs fell under Israeli rule in their Occupied Territories (450,000 in the Gaza Strip and 650,000 in the West Bank). Regardless of where the Palestinian people settled, either in Israel's occupied territories or in neighboring Arab countries; they do not have a proper state and in turn have become the largest group of refugees on the planet (Brynan, unpublished, 1998). The Palestinian population in Israel and its occupied territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip alone number over the 4 million mark (de Blij and Miller, 2000, p.315). Many involved in the peace process today believe the Palestinian refugee crisis is the main problem stand...

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...rs of the political Likud party. "Israel's right faults Barak for trying to give too much to a Palestinian leadership they say is ill-willed," (Seitz, 25 November 2000). In recent reports, as Barak learns that he is becoming unpopular within his own country, he has tried to form a union with Ariel Sharon, the right wing leader in his country. But still, things do not point towards Barak's re-election, instead "...current polls show (former Prime Minister) Netanyahu would defeat Barak in a two-way race to lead the country, despite Barak's overwhelming defeat of the hawkish leader in the last Israeli elections," (Seitz, 25 November 2000). And as the political disagreements between the Palestinians and the Israeli leaders rage on, and with the uncertainty of how a new Israeli Prime Minister may act on these issues, the people wait and wonder when this will all end.

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