501.BB Palestine/12–2948: Circular airgram
The Acting Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Offices 1
In view of the fact that the United Nations refugee relief program will terminate August 31, 1949, it is essential that the long-range aspects of the Arab refugee situation* be given careful consideration with a view to formulating policy on this important question.
The General Assembly resolution concerning Palestine, adopted December 11, 1948, deals with the refugee question as follows: “Resolves that refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which under the principles of international law or in equity should be made good by the governments or authorities responsible” and “instructs the Conciliation Commission to facilitate the repatriation, resettlement and economic and social rehabilitation of refugees and payment of compensation and to maintain close relations with the Director of the UN Relief for Palestine Refugees and through him with appropriate organs and agencies of the United Nations.” Although [Page 1697] this Government will use its best efforts to promote the purposes envisaged in this resolution, account must be taken of the possibility that the Government of Israel will be reluctant to accept the return of all those Arabs who fled from territory under Israeli control or that many of those who fled will not wish to return to the Israeli state.
Against the background of these possibilities, any comments which you can make at this time on the following general subjects would be of considerable value to the Department:
- 1.
- Economic—To what extent would the continued presence of the refugees adversely affect the economy of the country to which you are accredited or assigned? To what extent and under what circumstances could the state in question assimilate the refugees which it is now harboring? (In the case of Egypt and Transjordan, please also take into account those refugees in Palestinian territory who are under the supervision of the Egyptian and Trans Jordanian military authorities respectively.) What economic projects of a limited character might be undertaken as a means of integrating these refugees into the local economy? To what extent could they be utilized in connection with oil expansion projects? As a rough indication of their occupational potential, estimate if possible what proportion of the refugees in your area came from urban centers and what proportion from rural. To what extent and under what circumstances could Iraq, which has only 5,000 refugees, and Saudi Arabia, which has none, assimilate a significant number of refugees?
- 2.
- Political—What is your estimate of the long-range effect upon the political stability of the state in question in the event that the present group of refugees remains? What is your estimate as to the number of refugees who would be willing to return to Israeli territory on a permanent basis? What is their attitude towards the country in which they are now taking refuge? Is there any evidence that the government is considering the possibility that it may have to accept a number of refugees on a permanent basis, or that it is formulating any plans with that contingency in mind?
- 3.
- In view of the manifest impracticability of continuing indefinitely an international refugee relief program, what are your provisional recommendations for the solution of the Arab refugee question? In presenting your views, special emphasis should be placed upon the long-range effects on Near Eastern security of returning the refugees to Israeli territory or, alternatively, of endeavoring to integrate them into the Arab states.
Despite the highly speculative character of these questions, it would be desirable to obtain provisional estimates at this time, subject to review as conditions warrant, for planning purposes and for the guidance of the American member of the Conciliation Commission.
[Page 1698]While it would be inadvisable to discuss these questions with Arab officials at the present time, in your discretion you may wish to discuss them with your British colleagues and possibly with certain American nationals concerned with refugee matters. Such discussion, however, should be on an informal and personal basis and no reference to this instruction should be made.
- At Arab capitals, Jerusalem, and London (for information).↩
- The latest
estimates of refugee totals received by the Department are the
following:
[Footnote in the source text.]↩160,000–220,000 Northern Palestine 200,000–245,000 Southern Palestine 75,000–80,000 Transjordan 100,000–110,000 Syria 90,000 Lebanon 5,000 Iraq 8,000 Egypt 7,000 Israel