Leading American newspapers today lauded King Hussein of Jordan for a statement made by him in Aminan criticizing Arab leaders for “using Palestine Arab refugees as pawns for selfish political purposes.” The ruler of Jordan accused rulers of other Arab countries of approaching the Palestine refugee problem in “an irresponsible, ridiculous and even criminal” manner.
Terming the statement of the young King as courageous. The New York Times says editorially today that the first condition for any solution of the Arab refugee problem is Arab recognition that Israel is there to stay. “But even then,” the editorial emphasizes,” it will take concessions from both the Arabs and the Israelis to solve the refugee problem, and it is encouraging that numerous proposals are being advanced by both sides, however far apart they may still be.
“In any case, since Israel has already absorbed thousands of Jewish refugees from Arab lands, a real solution can lie only in absorption of the bulk of the Arab refugees by the Arab states, with some repatriation to Israel and compensation for the rest. The Arab leaders might well keep in mind the fact that playing politics with human misery is not only ‘criminal’ but also stupid, ” the Times editorial says.
The New York Herald-Tribune points out in an editorial that “King Hussein’s courageous statement indicates that Arab unity upon the important issue of the Palestine refugees is neither as solid nor as unyielding as it is often made out to be. ” Predicting that the King’s statement is bound to have repercussions throughout the Arab world, the editorial states:
“Jordan is more willing than other Arab lands to face up to the need for a responsible, constructive approach to the refugee problem. Whether such an approach will ever be undertaken, and whether the Arab leadership at large will start regarding the refugees less as a political weapon and more as a problem in human rehabilitation and resettlement, will depend largely upon urging and insistence of the outside world–which, after all, is footing the refugees’ bills. “
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
