Refugee ruse

“Annexation and normalizing UAE/Israel relations” (jpost.com June 30) makes some interesting points. Certainly, the development of open, mutually beneficial relations between Israel and the UAE could mark the beginning of the end of the Palestinian Authority’s campaign against normalization of the “Occupation,” something that was not accomplished via the cold peace generated by Israel’s treaties with Egypt and Jordan.

A major stumbling block in all past negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians has been the question of the “Palestine refugees,” people who claim descent from Arabs who fled Palestine half a century ago and more. The number of “refugees” registered with UNRWA has grown from fewer than 700,000 to over 5,500,000. While feeding the “refugees” a constant diet of anti-Jewish invective and teaching them that killing Jews is the path to Heaven, Palestinian leaders have also told them that they will, one day, return triumphantly to homes they claim their forebears lost in Israel.

The first step in achieving “two states for two peoples” (a demilitarized Palestinian state co-existing peacefully with the nation-state of the Jews) is admitting to the “refugees” that Israel is not going to be destroyed or transformed into a Muslim-majority state. Then, Arab nations will need to rescind their laws barring “Palestine refugees” from citizenship, giving the “refugees” the option of becoming fully integrated into an existing Arab country or opting for citizenship under Palestinian rule.

In addition, Arab nations should offer carefully monitored aid to the Palestinian leaders so that the first-ever-to-exist Arab State of Palestine will have a viable economy and be a place where Palestinians, whether they had been classified as “refugees” or not, can become productive citizens.

TOBY F. BLOCK Atlanta, GA