The Curmudgeon

YOU'LL COME FOR THE CURSES. YOU'LL STAY FOR THE MUDGEONRY.

Monday, October 25, 2004

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The Israeli government today issued a forceful condemnation of the Arab states' inability, or reluctance, to help their Palestinian brethren, who are living in what a UN observation team described as "inhuman" conditions. Three reservations in particular were criticised in the UN report as lacking in basic necessities for people living in them. The numbers of Palestinian residents in Camp Ben-Gurion, Camp Shamir and Camp Sharon are not known since, in the words of one camp controller, "We don't do head counts."

The Israeli government has repeatedly said that the Palestinians can leave the camps and enjoy full citizenship rights in Jordan, Egypt or Syria; but despite considerable pressure from the international community, none of these nations is prepared to offer the Palestinians the rights to which Israel claims they are entitled. The Syrian foreign minister sparked a row with the British Foreign Office three years ago when he claimed that his country's policy was "no worse" than the British policy on asylum seekers. "Asylum seekers are not British," a spokesperson said. "But Palestinians are Arabs. A certain fellow-feeling seems regrettably lacking in some of these countries."

Today's statement by Israel once more implored the Arab states to show more compassion for their Palestinian compatriots. So far only Egypt has responded, saying it would not rule out the possibility of taking the matter under consideration at some future date, depending on the feasibility of the practicalities involved. Britain and the United States joined in welcoming the Egyptian announcement as "a constructive and positive step on the road to peace in the Middle East".

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