From UNRWA To Israel: The 1952 Transfer of Responsibilities for Refugees in Israel

Abstract

The transfer of responsibilities from UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) to Israel in July 1952 was a significant step in the resettlement of the refugees in the sovereign territory of Israel. It doubles in importance considering that Israel was the only Middle Eastern country to take over from the UN agency. However, the significance of this step should also be compared with at least two more factors: the ratio between the refugees found in Israel and the total Arab post1948 population, and the ratio between the Israeli population and its total Arab body. Comparing these two sets of figures might facilitate an understanding of the reasons for the disappearance of the problem in Israel, yet have no effect whatsoever on the issue in its entirety. In the following pages an attempt made to analyze the reasons behind UNRWA's suggestion to Israel to take over, and the processes that led Israel to reluctantly accept this proposal. Of course, this move represented an opportunity to resettle the Arab refugees left behind in what became the State of Israel. However, there are other reasons for the total disappearance of the term refugee from Israeli terminology. First, the fact that this country never formally recognized in its legislation the distinctiveness of this particular population. Further, treatingall Arabs in the same way, subjecting them all to military government, helped galvanize one politically motivated population of refugees and nonrefugees. But those issues are beyond the scope of this article.