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AN ARAB SPEAKS
TO HIS PEOPLE
The Mideast has seen three Arab-lsraeli wars in
two decades . The bitter fruits of these wars hove
been widespread destruction, the loss of thousands
of lives, and the tragic displacement of refugees
on both sides. But where are the solutions?
Raouf ei-Gammal lived the first
22
year-s of his tifo in the Middte East,
graduating fr()!lz the University of Alex–
andria in Egypt. In 1963 he was chosen
as the olficial delrgate
of
the A rab Re–
public of Egypt to the New York Herald
Tribune World Youth Forum held in
the United States. Prior to his departure
he received extensive instrttction
in
Middle Eastern ajfairs and
in
particu–
lar the Palestinian refugee question. Un–
det· the auspices of the Ministry of Edu–
cation he visited man)' of the refugee
camps and was thoroughly schooled in the
Arab point of view. His wife, also a
graduate of the University of Alexan–
dria,
is
a Palestinian refugee born in
Haifa.
W
Y
is ir rhac news sources
usually report rhe pro–
paganda of miliranr Arab
groups who are by far in rhe
minority?
Isn't it time rhar che voice of those
Arabs who believe the whole Middle
East quesrion should be solved peace–
fully and realisrically were heard?
There are many Arabs who believe
that the Palesrinian refugees have
been used as political pawns.
Our readers have a right to hear
20
by
Raouf ei -Gammal
the refugees' side of tbe Middle East
dilemma.
Recent History
The background
ro
the Palesrinian
quesrion was first drawn by che pen of
Theodore Herzl - che founder of the
Zionist organization. Many Jews had
been returning
ro
Palesrine in che late
1800's in far greater numbers than
rhey ever had before. On che whole,
che Arab reaction at that time was
quite
favorable.
The Jewish conrribu–
tion ro the economy led ro a rise
in
the living standard of many Arabs.
During World War
I ,
the Bricish
enrered che Middle Easr scene. They
apporrioned varíous rerriroríes to a
number of Arab monarcbs. The eas r–
ern two rhirds of Palestine was given
ro Abdullah, rhe second son of che
Sherif of Mecca, and carne ro be
caBed Transjordan. Wesrern Palestíne
was kept under direct British rule. By
1922, che League of Nations officially
designated Grear Brirain as Manda–
cory Power in Palestíne. In che lace
1940's, rhe British - unable to
handle rhe explosive siruarion - rook
the íssue ro che U. N.
U. N. P artirion Plan
The United Narions announced a
parrírion plan in August 1947. Pales–
rine was co be partirioned into an
Arab state and
a
Jewísh state, while
Jerusalem would be placed under the
inrernatíonal rrusreeship system of che
U. N.
The Jcws accepted the proposal.
The Arabs did not. The
U.
N. vored
for partition, 33 to 13,
in
November
1947, with the help of (ironically) rhe
behind-the-scenes diplomacy of An–
drei Gromyko, Russia's delegare ro
the United Nations. Brirain, which
said ir would not vote for a plan
unacceptable to both sides, an–
nounced
it
would surrender
i
rs man–
dare on May
15,
1948.
The
Arab Exodus
T he exodus from Israel began
when fighting broke out after rhe
U. N. resolution of November 29,
1947. Villagers and rownspeople were
encouraged by cheir leaders ro "rem–
porarily" wirhdraw ro neighboring
terricories.
There ís no doubr that the Grand
PLAIN TRUTH July 1972