Why Arab Countries Don't Welcome Palestinian Refugees

Introduction

This is a loaded question that Israelis and their supporters pose in an innocent tone. A question that carries an entire narrative to dehumanize Palestinians and blame the Arabs for their dispossession. The answer they imply is that there is something fundamentally wrong with Palestinians that makes them unwanted, while blaming Arab countries for not doing enough. Let us examine the claim and see if these implications hold up.

Similar Propaganda Was Used Against Jews

We would expect Jews to be the last to make such dehumanizing comments, given their own experience of dehumanization in Nazi Germany. Would it be fair to ask why Jews were expelled from so many places throughout history in a similar loaded tone? From the Neo-Assyrian Empire to Nazi Germany, the examples are endless. Negative comments and talking points have led to the persecution of Jews and many other minorities throughout history.

Arab Countries Like Jordan Already Have Palestinian Citizens

Contrary to the narrative that Arab countries reject Palestinians because they are perceived as dangerous to their societies, Jordan's Palestinians have been there for decades. They are not just refugees but citizens and an integrated part of Jordanian society, with many even holding government positions like Anwar Bey Nuseibeh.

Arab Countries Are Dictatorships

It's interesting how people quickly forget who actually holds power in Arab countries. Most, if not all, Arab governments today have inherited their thrones from their colonial masters in the 20th century. The people had no say in this process. It is unfair to suggest that these dictatorships represent their nations when they endorse anti-Palestinian policies.

Hosting an Entire Population

And here lies a fundamental question: why should any country bear the burden of a conflict not of its own making? Hosting and integrating a displaced population goes far beyond mere hospitality, as countries must deal with significant economic and social costs. This is a massive undertaking, especially for nations already having enough internal challenges.

Why are Arab countries burdened with this responsibility? Which logic says that Arab countries must be a backyard for Israel to dump unwanted populations?

Depopulation of Palestine

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: If Arab countries endorsed an open border policy to welcome all refugees Israel decides to expel, wouldn’t that encourage Israel to expel more Palestinians? The Israeli Law of Return clearly states that only Jews can return. Therefore, Palestinians who are forced out, or who leave willingly, may not return ever again. For this reason alone, Arab countries are justified in closing their borders, and they definitely have no obligation to please the colonial ambitions of another nation.

Palestinians Were Expelled Many Times

Israeli supporters use this rhetoric as an example of Palestinians failing to coexist with other societies. Arab countries did expel Palestinians on multiple occasions because some Palestinians used violence to try to go back to their lands. They accused Arab governments of collaborating with Israel to prevent them from returning, which created tensions and eventually resulted in expelling Palestinians to other countries.

But then Israeli supporters falsely accuse Arab governments of expelling Jews in 1948. Except, here we get a contradictory narrative, blaming the Arab governments for carrying out an injustice against the poor Jews. But when Arab governments did the same to Palestinians, the blame was on the Palestinians, not on Arab governments. Can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Palestinians Betrayed Their Host Countries

We occasionally hear statements like these: Palestinians tried to overthrow the monarchy in Jordan, or Palestinians were expelled from Kuwait for supporting Saddam Hussein. While it's true that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) viewed the Jordanian regime as a barrier to Palestinian repatriation and admired Saddam’s pro-Palestine stance, these actions do not inherently define all Palestinians. Like any other group, Palestinians support those who advocate for their cause and distance themselves from those who oppose it.

Would it be fair to apply the same standards to Jews in Arab countries who collaborated with Israel to sabotage the entire country, like in the Lavon Affair, for example?

Dehumanizing Palestinians

These types of arguments aim to dehumanize Palestinians and eventually justify the atrocities committed against them. It also aims to paint Israel as a victim of the unwanted population and their Arab neighbors as evil entities that aren’t doing enough to help uproot Palestinians from their lands.