Nablus hosts the Balata Refugee Camp. With more than 23,000 registered refugees, it’s the largest United Nations-administered refugee camp in the West Bank, and it’s now 63 years old. While most Palestinians would disagree, some point out that Israel has had many refugees and assimilated them into their prosperous society while Palestine — and the Arab world — keeps the West Bank refugee camps in squalor in order to stir public opinion against Israel. Others point to the horrible conditions here as an example of the injustice Palestinians are living with every day. Regardless of your perspective, one thing is true: In 1948, when the families now living in Balata left their homes in Israel, they thought it would be for a short time. They locked up and took their keys. They still keep those keys — and they still hope to return.
If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.
You’re doing important work, Rick, by bringing a greater understanding of this area to your audience. I’m really thankful you’re doing this, because I’m gaining–with each of your posts–a greater understanding as to what the issues in this region are all about.
I’m curious, though–the Balata Refugee Camp seems to be comprised of non-Jews who used to live in areas now part of Israel. Does that mean they were Palestinians pushed out of territory that is now considered (by many) part of Israel? I guess my question is this: Are the residents of the Balata Refugee Camp Palestinians by nationality?
As usual you have a way of explaining some very difficult and confusing situations. It is hard to believe that the Jews that were so persicuted are now doing this to the Palistines. I know maybe just too simplified. I see where the US has trouble being allies with Isreal, but seeing how bad life is for the Palistinians. I also agree that this may not be fixable by anyone.
To Doug: I have been moved by Rick’s coverage of the area, and as a history teacher, I wanted to answer your question about who the people are who are living in that refugee camp. You are correct in assuming that they are Arabs who came from families living in the historic area of Palestine. The historic reality however is complicated, and I’m sure that Rick cannot start going into such depth in his blog. But it should be simple to understand who was in charge of these areas Rick is traveling in and at what periods.
The Ottoman Turks controlled the areas (present day Israel and Palestine) until 1917, when maps were carved out of their territories by the victorious British and French forces after WW1. (That is why Lebanese and Syrians, for example, often speak French.) Britian controlled the areas now called Jordan, Palestine, and Israel.
A “homeland for the Jewish people” was established by the United Nations in 1947, in which Britain was willing to relinquish their mandate on the area of Palestine and Israel. (The Jews wanted their independence from British rule for years prior to this, but chose to fight on the side of the Allies during WWII and suspend their aspirations until after the war was over.)
The problem with the Jewish homeland, was that, even though the Palestine area was partitioned into two states, one Jewish and one Arab, it still was unacceptable to the Arab population who felt that the British and the UN had no right to do such a thing. But sympathy for the Jewish aspirations for their own state were at a height after the Holocaust, and the partition plan was passed, and Arab population was left to decide if they would accept a half state with Jerusalem as an internationally controlled city, or choose to try to overturn this UN decision by attacking the new Jewish state that now called itself Israel.
All the neighboring Arab states attacked and fought what they considered this foreign intrusion into their affairs, and the outcome of the war was that Jewish forces won even more territory than was originally offered in the Partition Plan, which was one of many ironies of this whole Middle East situation.
As in all wars, the civilian population fled or was forced out. Each village and area has a different, and no doubt, tragic, story to tell, a Rick explains. The Jewish victors named their state Israel and the Palestinian refugees who left or were forced out of their homes that were originally in that Jewish area ended up in refugee camps in Jordan or Lebanon or just left the Middle East altogether.
Jordan controlled those refugee camps from 1948 – 1967, and certainly did not spend money to alleviate the deplorable conditions there. Israel captured the West Bank territory in the 6-day-War of 1967. Israel has controlled the area ever since that time. Yes, many of those kids grandfathers and great-grandparents still have the keys to their old homes. And many others have managed to get out and emigrate to other countries where they can hope to have a better life for their children. The UN still supports these camps with funding for schools, food, clothing, etc.
Lisa, you provide a very good summary of the history. One important thing to mention though is that the majority of the Jewish population now living in Israel immigrated from Europe after WWII and after the Holocaust. Prior to that there was a small Jewish community in Palestine. I think this is important to mention when trying to understand the Palestinian perspective on this issue. The Palestinians had been living there for generations prior to the influx of Jewish immigrants fleeing Europe in the 20th Century. Regardless of what side you take on the Israel / Palestine issue, it is important understand this, because I don’t think many people in the U.S. are aware of that.
Lisa – You provide a very good summary of the history. I think it is also important to mention that the majority of the Jewish population now living in Israel actually immigrated after WWII. Prior to that there was a small Jewish community living in Palestine. I think it is important to know that when trying to understand the Palestinian perspective. They were not living together all along, and then began fighting, as many in the U.S. seem to believe. The population changed very suddenly when Jewish immigrants fled Europe after the Holocaust.
Nice History Lisa. Rick is doing an excellent job relating facts and not PR for anyone.
In general the Jews bought the land. From an Arab point of view, they would say that they bought it from absentee landlords and discovered that they were kicked out of land that they farmed for generations. The concept of land ownership is not the same for all cultures. Native Americans were happy to sell land. To many tribes, ownership of land made as much sense as ownership (and therefor the selling) of air.
Hebron has had a Jewish presence through much of history. For the century before 1920 they were ~20% of the population, as second class citizens which was standard practice at the time. In the early 1920s pogroms started to decreased the Jewish population to zero by WW II. No Jews were permitted until after recapture in 1967.
Jews always lived in the old city of Jerusalem except after its capture by Jordan. From the 1830s on, there is controversy as to whether Jews or Muslims were a majority, but ~1900 +/- 20 yrs Jews were the majority. This is much before WW II.
There is good history here, but a few omissions. In 1948 the Palestinians left their homes to facilitate the Arab’s attempt to wipe out the Jews. Now they have nothing but keys.
The Balfour Declaration promised Jews a homeland in Palestine during World War I. The League of Nations gave Britain a mandate to accomplish this. Instead, the British blocked Jewish immigration and allowed the mufti to slaughter Jews and moderate Arabs, making compromist impossible.
When the Arabs controlled the West Bank and Gaza they did absolutely nothing to establish a Palestinian state. Of course, Jordan’s population is mostly Palestinian and takes up most of Palestine.