oints of view Summer O pp ort un i ti es in Israel! ARE YOU 20-28 YEARS OLD? CAN'T WAIT TO GET BACK TO ISRAEL? Intern or Volunteer Build Your Resume • Build Relationships 5-12 week programs* MAY-AUGUST 2014 *Program costs are subsidized Contact Danielle Longo for details longo@jfmd.org or 248-203-1467 HAVEN'T BEEN TO ISRAEL YET? NO PROBLEM! Detroit Community Taglit-Birthright Israel 10 DAY TRIPS DEPARTING IN MAY AND JUNE Pre-register now for priority listing: jewishdetroit.org/birthright or contact Ayelet Kon kon@jfmd.org or 248-502-2856 SUPPORTED BY Jewish Federation OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT 34 January 16 • 2014 Israel and Overseas NEXTGer Detroit Commentary redress Plights Of Jewish And Palestinian Refugees New York (JTA) henever the issue of the Middle East con- flict is raised, people invariably refer to the Palestinian refugees. They almost never refer to Jewish refugees from Arab countries. The world has long recognized the Palestinian refugee problem without rec- ognizing the other side of the story — the 850,000 Jewish refu- gees of Arab countries. Yet for any Middle East peace process to be credible and enduring, it must ensure that all bona fide refugees receive equal rights and treat- ment under international law. World Jewry hopes and expects this principle will inform American diplomacy as it facilitates the current Israeli- Palestinian negotiations and works for peace and justice at the United Nations. The Jewish refugees of Arab countries were expelled or fled in waves starting in 1948 and continuing until after the 1967 war. They were even more numer- ous than Arab refugees from Palestine; their losses of property and institutions were far greater. Jews lived in what came to be known as the Arab world for 2,500 years. They were part of the social fabric of the multina- tional empires of the region and contributed much to the culture. They were sometimes persecut- ed, but mostly tolerated. But the rise of Arab national- ism and the conflict in Palestine changed all that. The new Arab regimes orchestrated a campaign of massive violations of the human and civil rights of their Jewish citizens. These states expropriated the property of the native Jewish populations and stripped them of their citizenship. Jews were murdered, arbitrarily arrested, tortured or expelled by government agents or by maraud- ers who operated as governments turned a blind eye. The persecutions of Middle Eastern Jews started even before the establishment of the Jewish state. The infamous Farhud pogrom in Baghdad killed or injured hundreds in 1941. That is why I have called upon U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and all world leaders to acknowledge the truth and place the plight of the Jewish refugees of Arab countries on the agenda with the rights of Palestinian Arab refugees. Under international law, the legal rights of Jews displaced from Arab countries are no less legitimate than those of other Middle East refugees. As Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz explained, the rights of Jewish refugees of Arab countries are, in fact, enshrined in Security Council Resolution 242, which refers to the rights of "refugees" in the Arab-Israel conflict without specifying their nationality. In April 2008, the U.S. Congress unanimously adopted a resolution that granted first-time recognition to Jewish refugees from Arab countries. It declared that no comprehensive Middle East peace can be reached with- out recognition of, and redress for, the legitimate rights of Jewish refugees from Arab countries. Further, Congress said that all bilateral and multilateral discus- sions and documents should refer to the multiple Middle East refugee populations that arose from the Arab-Israeli conflict. At its core, the issue is not about money. It is about recog- nition - that Jews were victim- ized and displaced from their countries of birth; legality - that under international law, Jews were legally determined to be refugees; and equality - that all refugees must receive equal rights and redress. Now is the time to set the historical, diplomatic and legal record straight. Lasting peace can only be built on historical facts. The issues of the Jewish refugees and the Palestinian refugees must be addressed. ❑ Ronald Lauder is president of World Jewish Congress.