Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Who's Right to Exist Is It Anyway?

This morning Inskeep was talking to Paul Salem of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut about the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. They were discussing how the refugees were not integrated into Lebanese society for a variety of reasons and Inskeep said, "Can I just ask, is part of the reason the camps stay there and stay there because if Palestinians were integrated into normal life in Lebanon or somewhere else, um, it might be seen as an acknowledgment that__________."

a. "...their hopes for dignity and justice have been crushed."
b. "...their dreams of a state and genuine homeland are buried beneath Israeli settlements."
c. "...the world has turned its back on the just claims of Palestinians for return or compensation."

Given Israel's campaign of destroying Palestinian society and its continued occupation, colonization and theft of Palestinian land you might expect a person of compassion and integrity to make such a statement - but hey, this is Steve Inskeep, and here's what he says,
"...it might be seen as an acknowledgment that Israel has a right to exist, and is going to stay there."
Imagine that, Palestinians won't surrender to "ethnic cleansing" because it would acknowledge Israel's "right to exist." Only in the upside down world of NPR can you get such mangled logic. I've commented before on this nonsense about Israel's "right to exist." Here it is again. Fortunately, Paul Salem is not a loyal tool of Israeli propaganda and explains that there are complex and tragic reasons why the refugees in Lebanon are so isolated.

(graphic from B'Tselem)

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