Risking Israel's ire, US takes 1,350 Palestinian refugees

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"The State Department confirmed today that as many as 1,350 Iraqi Palestinians – once the well-treated guests of Saddam Hussein and now at outs with much of Iraqi society – will be resettled in the US, mostly in southern California, starting this fall.

It will be the largest-ever resettlement of Palestinian refugees into the US – and welcome news to the Palestinians who fled to Iraq after 1948 but who have had a tough time since Mr. Hussein was deposed in 2003. Targeted by Iraqi Shiites, the mostly-Sunni Palestinians have spent recent years in one of the region's roughest refugee camps, Al Waleed, near Iraq's border with Syria.

"Really for the first time, the United States is recognizing a Palestinian refugee population that could be admitted to the US as part of a resettlement program," says Bill Frelick, refugee policy director at Human Rights Watch in Washington.

Given the US's past reluctance to resettle Palestinians – it accepted just seven Palestinians in 2007 and nine in 2008 – the effort could ruffle some diplomatic feathers.

For many in the State Department and international community, the resettlement is part of a moral imperative the US has to clean up the refugee crisis created by invading Iraq. The US has already stepped up resettlement of Iraqis, some who have struggled to adjust to life in America."

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[UndertheOcean]

1. I don't think Israel minds.

[timeforpeace]

2. What's with the title, Israel doesn't care. Their Iraq's refugees.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Why should Israel be bothered?

These are refugees from Iraq, seeking asylum in the USA. Israel isn't involved at either end.

I am glad that America is offering them asylum, and agree that there is 'a moral imperative' for the US (and others involved such as the UK) 'to clean up the refugee crisis created by invading Iraq'.

[Violet_Crumble]

5. Yeah, I would have thought Israel would be all for this...

The article wasn't clear on why the US was risking Israel's ire (of course I'm sure the US isn't going to be bothered if it pisses off Israel or not) and it seemed to be more that the US in the past didn't take in all but a very few Palestinian refugees because it *perceived* it to be a move that would piss Israel off.

Mind you, just over 100 refugees is a pitifully small number to be taking in, but it's sure better than nothing...

[shira]

4. oh noes, palestinians resettling elsewhere? it's a zionist plot to undermine RoR! oh no!

[bemildred]

6. Are we supposed to pretend that "Israels ire" is scary to the US?

Who writes this crap, and why?

[shira]

7. if anyone is pissed, it's Arab countries with refugees who need permanent homes

[bemildred]

8. The story says "Israel" is pissed.

I don't know that I believe that either, but that what the OP says.

[shira]

10. yeah, stupid title for the article

it makes more sense that Arab countries are peeved - if the USA really wanted to publicize this and shame them, they could - and it might pressure them to resettle more Palestinians in their own countries.

[bemildred]

11. I was thinking more like "stupid article", but yeah. nt

[pelsar]

9. OMG....Palestinians living in the US...whats next?

Palestinians getting US citizenship?...what kind of diabolical plot is this to destroy israel.

just a small fact.....i haven't even heard this in the israeli media...i guess Israel is so seething mad, the media can't even publish it.....
____

[IndianaGreen]

12. Israel would rather all the Palestinians were resettled in US

Let's take this one step further:

All Palestinians are resettled in California. All Israelis are resettled in Utah. The land once known as Israel and Occupied Palestine is returned to its legitimate owners, the descendants of the Canaanites displaced by the Israelites.

[azurnoir]

13. Poor Nevada

but then again I have to smile thinking of the Mormons, a new struggle by gosh and there's even a dead sea

[martymar64]

14. Let them move to Los Angeles, Beverly and Fairfax

They can take over Canter's Deli and all the shops along Fairfax and rename David Ben Gurion Square to Yasser Arafat Square.

That would be a hoot!

[Jim Sagle]

15. Better yet, settle them in Dearborn, MI.