The Future for Palestinian Refugees (review)

Abstract

Future for Palestinian Refugees, by Michael Dumper. Boulder and London: Lynne Rienner, 2007. 233 pp. $55.00. This book explores solutions for Palestinian refugees. It claims that the study is an argument against exceptionalism of Palestinian-Israeli case, suggesting that measures diat have been used elsewhere can be used to help solve this issue (p. 3). There are chapters on causes of problem; international practice; options of local integration, resettlement and repatriation; role of United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA); reparations; truth, justice, and reconciliation. book contains a wealth of information and commentary, three maps, and seven statistical tables. Dumper suggests diat die root of die problem is die Palestinian claim for justice or completeness as he calls it and die Israeli claim for an exclusively Jewish state. Jewish demand is not mirror image of Palestinian one because Palestinians are not seeking an exclusively Arab, or Muslim and Christian stare (p. 5). This assertion is over-simplistic to die point of being untrue. Hamas, which won die last Palestinian elections, does seek an Arab or Muslim state and does not accept that Jews have any rights in Middle East. Other Palestinians, including Fatah, have conditionally accepted Israel's right to exist but only in recent years after nearly one hundred years of conflict. Dumpers history of conflict is inaccurate and biased. He states that Balfour declaration was issued by British prime minister; in fact it was issued by British foreign secretary (p. 23). He claims that UN General Assembly decision of November 1947 to partition was the catalyst for a civil war in Palestine without mentioning Jewish acceptance of resolution and Arab rejection. He makes no mention of Peel Commissions Report of 1937 that was also rejected by Arabs and accepted by Jews as a basis for discussion. Blame is nearly always placed on one side. One clear example is this: The radical Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) was elected as new PNA government on a platform that does not recognize Israel or any of agreements signed hitherto. refusal of Israel or Quartet (emphasis added) to countenance any dealings with new government has caused a crisis in peace process and possibly its temporary demise (p. 34). Hamas does not concern itself with refugee issues: it demands Islamic justice which precludes any Jewish presence in what it considers to be Muslim land. Yasser Arafat often emphasized Islamic motifs and de-emphasized refugee issues that were much closer to Abu Mazan's heart. Dumpers treatment of role of United Nations is uncritical. Hence he states that UNRWA, which deals with Palestinian Refugees, was not involved in permanent solutions while United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), which works in other parts of world, is involved in trying to find permanent solutions. This is a crucial issue that has played a major if not major role in history of refugees, but Dumper has nothing to say about why such a distinction was made in functioning of these two UN refugee bodies and what implications have been. …