Israel and the Palestinian Refugee Issue

Examining the development of Israel's policy toward the Palestinian refugee issue, this book spans the period following the first Arab-Israeli War until the mid-1950s, when the basic principles of Israel's policy were finalized.Israel and the Palestinian Refugee Issue outlines and analyzes the various aspects that, together, created the mosaic of the "e;refugee problem"e; with which Israel has since had to contend. These aspects include issues of repatriation, resettlement, compensation, blocked bank accounts, internal refugees and family reunification. Drawing on extensive archival research, this book uses documents from Israeli government meetings, from the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and files from the office of the Prime Minister's advisor on Arab affairs to address the many diverse aspects of this topic, and will be essential reading for academics and researchers with an interest in Israel, the Middle East, and political science more broadly.

Preface Introduction 1 Israel's Policy toward the Emerging Refugee Problem, Spring-Winter 1948 2 The Lausanne Conference and the Refugee Problem 3 Shifting the Emphasis for Solving the Refugee Problem: from a Political Approach to an Economic One 4 The Refugee Problem and Abdullah's Jordan 5 An Exchange Transaction: Paying Compensation in Exchange for the Resettlement of the Refugees 6 Israel and the Compensation Issue Prior to the Paris Conference and during its Proceedings 7 Two Political Matters Linked to the Compensation Issue 8 The Resettlement Question Following the 6th United Nations General Assembly 9 Toughening Israel's Position: Compensation Policy since the Winter of 1952 10 The Alpha Plan 11 Three Secondary Aspects of the Refugee Problem Where Progress has been Achieved Conclusion