Shape of the future – Refugees program
Review:  Refugees settle for the small dream

Daoud Kuttab*

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Ramallah - What is the connection between the village of Majdel Kroum in northern Israel and the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon? Simple. Just ask the Khalayleh family which was divided during the Naqba (Catastrophe), the 1948 War that ended with the creation of the state of Israel and the birth of the Palestinian refugee problem.

Imagine a family, which has been divided for over fifty years and you can begin to understand the refugee problem.

From grandparent, to parent, to child, an oversized key is passed as a symbol of Palestinians’ determination to exercise the right to return to their homes and lands, which they were evicted from during the 1948 war. Tens, or perhaps hundreds of thousands, of Palestinians, who became refugees then, now count in the millions and are spread throughout the world with the vast majority in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria as well as in the Palestinian territories.

The Khalayleh family is featured in the "Refugee" program, which is the second episode in a four-part television documentary series entitled 'The Shape of the Future,' which will air this Saturday night, July 9 at 8:30 PM in Arabic on the Ma’an Network and the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) and on Abu Dhabi satellite TV at 7:00 PM (Jerusalem time). This same program will be shown in Hebrew on Israel’s Channel 8 on July 16 at 8:30 PM, along with a companion program on Israeli settlements.

For many Palestinians, solving the refugee issue begins with the admission of Israeli historic and ethical responsibility for causing this human tragedy. For most Israelis they are unable to make this first, rather, symbolic admission. Well respected Israeli journalist Zeev Schiff blames the creation of the refugee crisis on the war saying clearly "it is not our fault." He even blames the victims by saying that Arabs (meaning Arab countries) are responsible for the continuation of the refugee problem. Other Israelis interviewed, including Likud Minister Tzipi Livni and retired IDF General Israela Oron, deny vehemently any agreement on the right of Palestinians to return, absolving Israel of any responsibility about the fate of Palestinian refugees.

Of all the refugees scattered in surrounding countries, the status of Palestinians in Lebanon is the worst. Salah Khalayleh lists the tens of jobs that Palestinians are not allowed to hold. The difficulties in Lebanon are articulated clearly in the conditions of life that the camera scans in the various Lebanese based refugee camps. The situation in Lebanon is so difficult that Mohammed Khalayleh says clearly that he prefers to live under Israeli rule “in Palestine” than to stay in Lebanon. According to Palestinian researcher Khalil Shikaki, his feelings are echoed by only 10% of all Palestinian refugees. A large 86% majority would be happy to live in the new Palestinian state and participate in its building.

The Shikaki poll, which would have been unheard of a few years ago, echoes the realistic vision of many Palestinians who talk clearly of the two state solution. Former Minister of Prisoner Affairs Hisham Abdel Razeq says it clearly. "If we want the return of all refugees then there is no solution.” Instead, Hisham and others talk about the right of return as a principle rather than an actual occurrence.

For the producers of the documentary ‘The Shape of the Future,' solving the Palestinian refugee problem takes three basic steps. Family reunions, giving refugees options and helping the majority move to the Palestinian state.

Some repatriation of families within the scope of a family reunion scheme is envisioned mostly benefiting those Palestinians from the Galilee who are now living in very poor conditions in Lebanon. Surprisingly, this idea is supported by Palestinians and Israelis interviewed in the documentary, including Tzipi Livni and Ze’ev Schiff.

The second step envisioned in the film is the idea of giving refugees choices. The study conducted by Shikaki shows that only 13% of all refugees are against any settlement that will not bring them back to Palestine. The rest appear to be realistic and would accept one of three choices: repatriation to the Palestinian state, travel to another country as part of political asylum or to stay in the country in which they are currently living. Canadian expert on refugee issues, Ambassador (ret) Michael Molloy, explains that the biggest obstacle to overcome is the refugees’ feeling of humiliation. When choices are given to refugees world-wide in a respectful way, they think of their children and their future, he said.

To explain some of these choices we are introduced to a young barber in Jordan. Hatem Shaheen was born in the Schneller refugee camp, one of 23 brothers and sisters. We see him at his salon and his home and he says clearly that he considers Jordan his home and has no plan or interest in returning. According to Shikaki, one third of refugees in Jordan feel the same way.

Palestine will automatically be the home of many refugees because of the existence of a large number of refugees in the West bank and Gaza strip. One such refugee is Ramzi Abu Radwan from the Amari refugee camp in Ramallah where 8,658 refugees are living today. Ramzi, a child during the first intifada, who was angered by the injury of one of his friends by Israeli soldiers, began throwing stones and got a few bullets in his body. Later on he joined a local music conservatory and took a liking to playing the violin. We see Ramzi as an adult, having become a concert violinist, playing music with fellow Palestinians and international musicians at the Qalandia checkpoint. Ramzi doesn't want to talk about the past but would like to be part of a future independent Palestinian state.

The majority of Palestinian refugees will certainly choose to move to the new Palestinian state or at least have that option in case things get worse where they are. Some 86% of those polled by Shikaki expressed readiness to live in a Palestinian state, alongside the state of Israel. Minister Hisham Abdel Razeq explains the solution metaphorically. There is no force on earth that can take away from refugees their large dream of returning to their original homes, but for most refugees they have another dream: namely, for Palestine to exist as an independent state. Fulfilling that smaller dream and moving to the Palestinian state is a much more realistic dream.