2009/01/01 by Riccardo Bocco, R. Bocco · 2 citations
Social Sciences · #Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies #Middle East Politics and Society #Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/rsq/hdq001
openalex publication_date 2009/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
It is difficult to conceive a sustainable, long-lasting solution to the Palestinian–Israeli conflict without examining the refugee issue and identifying a just solution to it for both sides. Over time, and beside its emotional dimensions, the refugee issue has been increasingly regarded as a “problem” for the Israeli and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)/Palestinian Authority (PA) leaderships, who have generally taken uncompromising positions. The international stakeholders have been unable to suggest compromises acceptable to the parties concerned. In a recent work, M. Chiller Glaus reviews in detail the juridical debates and the political proposals of the last twenty years and concludes that “there will be no Israeli-Palestinian Peace agreement if the question of refugees remains unresolved, and the question of Palestinian refugees will not be resolved without the concrete prospect for an overall Israeli-Palestinian agreement”.1 Sometimes depicted as “the original sin” of the Israeli State,2 the displacement of more than 700,000 Palestinian civilians during the 1948 war contradicts the Zionist myth of the right to “a land without people for a people without a land”. Yet, for the Israeli population, the possible return of masses of Palestinian refugees is disconcerting as they view any such return as analogous to the effacement of Israel’s Jewish character.3 Denying, ignoring or sweeping the refugee issue under the rug, therefore, has been the main approach of most Israeli governments since 1948. On the Palestinian side, and during the secret Oslo talks, the Fatah leadership accepted not to include United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 194 of 19484 in the Declaration of Principles, signed in September 1993, as a basis for negotiating a final peace agreement with the Israeli government. This decision sparked resentment and opposition among a majority of Palestinian refugees worldwide, who felt their right to return to their original homeland and/or their right to compensation had been betrayed. Although the Palestinian leadership has become progressively aware of the impossibility of return for millions of refugees, it has been seeking “principled” solutions related to at least a partial acknowledgement of responsibility by Israel.5 As Rashid Khalidi has pointed out, “[a] combination of factors has prevented the negotiating process to be successful, including: callous pragmatism of US policy-makers, a balance of forces massively favourable to Israel (whose leaders would prefer to ignore both history and international legitimacy) and profound weaknesses in Palestinian negotiating performance from Oslo onwards”.6 Since the early 1990s, the United States of America and the European Union, in particular, have been advocating a realpolitik approach to the Palestinian refugee issue and have been pushing the Israeli and the Palestinian leadership to reach “hard compromises”. While still awaiting positive developments, international donors have continued funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which is commemorating its 60th anniversary in 2009 and is presently assisting nearly 4,700,000 people in the Near East.7 This introduction aims to provide a background to the contributions included in this special issue. In the first part, some short historical information on UNRWA and the Palestinian refugees helps to outline a number of characteristics of the two main actors under consideration. In the second part, some present challenges facing UNRWA and relevant future research topics are grouped in transversal themes that take into account the relationships between UNRWA and its clients. The literature on UNRWA is relatively abundant. Besides the internal UNRWA reports, which contain important material on the evolution of the Agency’s activities, as well as numerous evaluation and policy reports focusing on specific aspects of its work, one can find few analyses within social science research that have focused on UNRWA.8 In this section, the main features of the Agency’s mandate, role, and functioning are summarized. UNRWA was created in the aftermath of the 1948 war and its mandate, as specified by UNGA Resolution 302(IV) of 8 was to out, in with the and as by the and to with Near governments to be taken in for the of international for and UNRWA in and was created to that had been by the of the the of the and the it was with the of at the of Palestine The Agency has since become the international to a specific refugee in a specific and In of are by the United Nations for Refugees Palestine refugees the of the Agency’s has been from the by a number of related to the of its donors and the possible of its that the This has on the of the international to UNGA Resolution which was by the Palestinian refugees as a of their right of return and/or from in the early and its Works UNRWA the of which was than with political UNRWA has not been for the for a as this was to the United Nations for a UNRWA has been in a from the in its UNRWA has been conflict with its and in the are their and the Agency’s to at the of its mandate, and to the The Agency was with a specific or than the in the In the the UNGA has the evolution of On the one this has the Agency’s has had to take to the in which it On the the Agency’s has to positive and the political opposition to the of its in the UNRWA to the of and social and focused on This of on to the of Palestine refugees and their without the right to the has become the in of and The in a in the second of the in the and the not have a mandate, it has taken a number of in this This was the with the of during the first in the and Besides the of its this the for the Agency to its from a within political The funding is the and the of the The in is by the contributions of This that the of a or a United Nations has to activities, and from political Yet, at the time, in the of in and at of of political to realpolitik or to of international political during and the In this the of the second of the has not been a in the history of UNRWA a As a the Agency has had to to its and to UNRWA has been in the the for the peace process and its favourable for the has been by an for in of the at the time, the of that have on the of final is the that UNRWA is to be its has been years and the Agency has been in for more than a can that the of funding or the of its are to the that the Agency was to be within a few years its In this by a Palestine refugee UNRWA has become both a that a just of the refugee issue on international is possible and the of the of the international to the Palestine at the Agency’s and activities, the are the of the first of the UNRWA to the of 4,700,000 refugees, and in in its of The Agency and and by a with an of more than and by more than in In the Relief and more than special of and and The and has more than with a of US The the of UNRWA a the on and a without which has to its the and of the Agency the of the United Nations at have on the of in some in the and early and from the The of the during the on UNRWA can become in a of its by of the of a from the in political by the by the The of the was by the during the and the of the majority of of Palestinian with an number of the war of the early and during the the to a of political and Besides the was to and its in the The a majority of the of Palestinian the main of this policy was to the of the of the the of the not from the of the 1990s, two main On the one side, internal political with the of a the of the of and of political as well as the of On the side, the Peace to the of and to for a peace as well as to among Israeli and Palestinian the Peace some of the in the view that a possible peace would to the final of Palestinian refugees in the and the Peace both at the and international of in the peace the of an a of peace between the not between The of a for the of the the of a In the most Palestinian refugees have a are of a Palestinian than of refugees are during the refugees a has of Palestinian they of the the of UNRWA and the in a number of the Agency still a of for most refugees and for the among in particular, in the This was in with the of the of who from continued to be as a of international for one of the This was by to to the Peace and to to UNRWA more than of the have been among Palestinian refugees and This has been an for the in with in that the and of its in of can be by the relationships between its and the In this UNRWA a of Palestinian the Agency’s are to be of Palestinian and an important historical The history of UNRWA and the history of Palestinian refugees the is an in the and As has political and of Palestinian refugees in which UNRWA is are in Palestinian Palestinian refugees, and are by are not of international in of the historical conflict between and the of the refugees to UNRWA has been in their of as refugees, their for and their of the and of parties relevant to their and one the for have been by of or European has been in the or the the a of international the with a of have been to UNRWA as a such that international has been an of the Agency’s from by Palestinian political in the two the Agency has been to this possible of into a positive at the of the in particular, the of the Peace an number of Palestinian have been to in view of the of the Agency’s On the side, an number of international have been to UNRWA in its of In at who is a Palestinian is no The and the number of Palestinian refugees can to the approach to Palestinian refugees and to the social of between refugees or and and the actors at the of its mandate, a this to a to the number of the Agency its activities, it a of the United Nations the number of on the of the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees It is the that has become the accepted one and has “a Palestine refugee any of was Palestine during the to and who both and of as a of the 1948 be refugees who in or who the UNRWA of not the of original refugees of the that they have a and/or the Agency’s of UNRWA its and at the some of in the of its a refugee a for would it in the of or a refugee a would It is important to that the UNRWA of a Palestine refugee is an one and not into by international a to continued the Palestine refugee is to the of a to the Palestine refugee issue. In of to the UNRWA refugees nearly 4,700,000 people from As for their nearly in in in the in and in of than of the refugees are the most important and with and is the in which refugees more than of the Palestinian population, in their number for of the the of a Palestinian refugee by UNRWA not with the political of Palestinian refugees and It for with the in the of the Palestinian at the first of the in in and in to the UNRWA than of an are refugees to a political their number is to of the or the refugees the of the Palestinian the social of most the be The issue of is to the peace of its political in of and in to UNGA Resolution the of Palestinian refugees be in juridical their and well have both been of the Palestinian and among the main of the Palestinian at the in the of the and the of the the of under the and and prevented the of the that was not with a at the of from the most to in with political the progressively their in In in most it the for the in this refugees a a of the it is important to the of UNRWA to its and some of the of the to of the Agency the In this one can an can to identifying with the of it the issue has been more by of the that most of its are from among the refugee the most refugees in particular, of and its and activities, UNRWA the and the to in the of Palestinian its of in part, its and In the Palestinian political who and UNRWA to a of the of the in the of by the of an the of which not to the of the right of return to the of the of a and the of an in the second of the UNRWA was more both as the of the of refugee and as a for the of a specific Palestinian The to UNRWA and as as to the and material for the among this for within the Agency and with In most refugee for political in some and as between the and UNRWA in of the by the to for the as the and of refugees, and the the to UNRWA for its to and in with The it the Agency to among the of and the of the Palestinian the of which in in UNRWA a for the The by UNRWA the to in the and to as a of the Palestinian on the Israeli of between the Agency and the in UNRWA was to its from the This that in UNRWA was in the of its and by its In the of the the an at the Peace leadership was by the of the by the and by the of from the Although the had to a in the the not to be It was in a that the Palestinian leadership the Oslo the of the of in and the and in the in the of a Palestinian with one of for the the have not been to reach a final agreement on the of the and the which their Authority can its The of September was to the and the of Palestinian the and of Palestinian and the question who is to become of any are still awaiting In the of the peace to among among in the and The most of have been between the of the and the more between the of the Oslo and their on the one side, and the and Fatah on the The peace process not a for it to a of of and from and Palestinian In the 1990s, the for progressively a for peace the peace has a of the has not from remains and land and of the Palestinian had by since the of the Oslo US in had by and had functioning Palestinian continued to be a as the of had Palestinian on The refugees in the in a and to take positions. The Oslo had created a among 1948 and refugees by the right of as a to the of In to and to political most refugee felt and their Refugees since had been to the or to with the Refugees felt that the with was to in a final of their they not that the international would or their the Oslo the that the Palestinian Authority was in a process of and negotiating the of UNGA Resolution 194 the The of Palestinian in and in the by the peace related to a of refugee from UNRWA to the by refugee who their right of the to of UNRWA relationships with the they to The question of refugee has not been included in It is a issue of its at both and the and it is it the and of or it is it can with the of and with the of the as In the issue can be as an by donors or It was during the the and of which included a solution to the refugee that the for Palestinian and a in focusing on a approach to the refugee the of the in negotiating the future of the refugees and their right of return in The and the and to the and and of 1948 refugees and Palestinian in America in the to in a and advocating for Palestinian refugee The of by and the Israeli and Palestinian by and a in the refugee The secret of the of the had not and the was to in final was the of The from at and from refugee to Israeli of the right of return and acknowledgement of responsibility for created the The the of the of a in in the had by September the the at which the of both parties to a political solution to The of as and the of the United States in a Since the of the the of the Palestinian have been at This the of in the of in the by an international and the of by the in in which a of with the UNRWA as well as in the has become of the the of and the of the from international of an political to the The in the of with of and as well as of proposals on the refugee policy and and international political have to proposals to the has most has been the of refugee with from their in in the and In of Palestinian refugees have been in the their future the Oslo years and the leadership has to more as and than as or actors with to the and this approach have the of and opposition felt by Palestinian refugees their the to of This has and a recent research the for and political of the in the and in the the last of and the of UNRWA important The has to with a on and in the of In of evaluation and have been with the of to While its in advocating and for the and of the Palestinian refugees, and the will of and in the to the for the has to the of refugees, with on the most the will its of social and main challenges to be of not between UNRWA and the Palestinian refugees of for and and for and As the main of UNRWA both in of and As a of in to the of the has been a On of a most of of the refugees are years of The by UNRWA has been on a to future for a The Agency is not a it on of the United in and funding from international It is both an and an at the by refugees and at the by international The of is in their they are refugees and the of most as a for UNRWA a since a of actors is in the of refugee In to its the UNRWA was in with the and the by The for are to a and a of the and of with and to a the of has been a issue for and for Israel in the In the of UNRWA by the as a to a in refugee In this UNRWA has been under since is a process of and to to an of While the has to its it be important to the of UNRWA in the of a future of the peace to the of UNRWA more to a of peace and UNRWA well on the basis of the it In the the has been to a of most UNRWA on a basis both for and are and the to and are with most The which is a of the Agency’s can have no to in political the Oslo has refugees in final are the Palestinian among UNRWA from the to the has been progressively in and in refugee have been the of In the and the has the and the for most has not it has the of a in Palestine and in the for the and that of the in Palestine was in the This was important for under and in the refugee no to in social and as the and no the as in the and question the of in years of by a to become an with of who not is a to to the at the of this of is in the of the The of which for to the and in that the Agency was to in the The approach of the was by a among the of by the that was to social and political The of the of the Authority to the Near East was to as it was to its political have become more with time, most international donors the between and political a to a peace In the UNRWA its from the early to the it and an approach of and social The Agency its with the of and the Organization for the and the with United Nations on and a of social UNRWA has a to in and not by with of the UNRWA have been as a for a of the of activities, with the of the of refugees, has a This is for refugees in the and While a of or most have an in the they The of by UNRWA has to the of the from the the of the Agency was no more and than not for in by and the with the of the first UNRWA in the of and the for and the of and for The Peace in in the of the of the peace was of a of its in the and it was focused on and and to refugee This UNRWA a in for Palestinian in the have by the refugees the and in and are not as a to the of the right of between and has within refugee This has been by the While this is in refugee that this in their approach to a peace it is important to that UNRWA has its approach to as well as its the in the the in to in the and and from social and in the during the to the of and the history of UNRWA is a of and UNRWA to in in the and in the in and in are to or have become of the and the number of in from a few people to most refugee are by a it is not to find among refugees they or of who have the number of people who have been in has been of the number of Palestinian refugees, the most in and The or of not to the original In 1948 and to the some and they or that have into and they of or their have been in the since their the has a of refugee between the of the and the has been This for of refugees, the of in a has been by more people than the of would The and of refugees are not a for they social to be and the related among refugees to be of social and between refugees and their the The of the in the of Palestinian has in the have been they the of the Palestinian people and their Refugees not land in the they can it under the of Refugees are generally of the they on In a is a of land by the to refugees who can it from in and the in original land was years the 1948 in the The of was by generally in to has to or the of and and social a number of the future of refugee in has been that of to the of to it is not that the refugees that UNRWA land in to without their right of In the for the during the of by the refugee to both for their right of return and to in The and political of the question has been of the peace in the Oslo a more internal one for the and the governments a one for the future of the the early and with funding from international the issue has been into the Palestinian internal and in the few This the of since international donors European in have for on to be main research in social which have been in the are to the of the Palestinian refugees and to the on both Israeli and Palestinian on the UNRWA is to have an of its and to provide its its of into account the of The Palestinian refugees a from from a of years of and of refugees have of of to political and The of has in the with the of has been in of of and The Palestinian refugee question has generally been by juridical and political debates the possible policy for international the juridical have the Palestinian in have or the and of the As recent on and and refugees have is a to the of and its juridical into account the of their and their to to of have become the than the The and of the Palestinian the of some in the and have the of a number of more Palestinian and refugees have in the East and the their in Palestine has been or prevented by Israel its and in the of the and in this between the Palestinian on the one and the and on the are in the Palestinian refugees in the have been their relationships to the original and of and and to the right of return in have As in the of a recent on the Palestinian refugee issue with the be the for peace the years a number of have in a policy or in a more research to at the internal of both Palestinian and Israeli in a the of and and as by and international the of conflict that in the and the 1990s, the the of of and in from the and have had and the East in has from such one not the of in Israel and Palestine during the under the of the to of the Oslo of and the on not that the of be in to the and for that the refugee issue is and most at the of the debates and of the which the of The two research to the of not for at the and international for policy and peace the last two have to the of most have the have the for the in the of In this the Palestinian refugees, and more the Israeli and Palestinian with their and for peace and to have been by their political As a solution to the conflict to be increasingly as both to a possible peace to be more in their as Although the and the be in of of the and in of on the in both have a in the and the Palestinian in the one of the East be a the of peace in both actors and who have been advocating as the to their Peace will have its in the and be a for that have been the Palestinian to at It be for has been to a from the It is important to the of the Israeli their and in the of peace be and the can be as social and juridical to and have to one peace a number of compromises on the right of among such compromises be the by international and the most for a process and for a long-lasting of the Israeli and its future Palestinian can be by their actors in the their as a number of contributions in this the of and to a in the of the and the in by and political As in a recent to the the with the and and the of the with the the and of as they are