Syrian Abuse of Palestinian Refugees
In Syria, 1948 Arab Refugees are Expendableby Chana Ya'ar
A bloody confrontation between factions at the Yarmouk Arab refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus was caused by the Syrian government, an Arab refugee says.
The descendant of a former Arab resident of Israel living today in a Syrian refugee camp charged bitterly that “Palestinian blood is cheap” there. The Arab, who spoke with a Reuters reporter on condition of anonymity, described a mood of “deep frustration in the camp.” He added that his people were being “used by the Syrian regime to deflect attention from its internal crisis.”
The State of Israel concurred, and this week submitted a letter of complaint to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon charging the Assad regime with manipulating Arab refugees living in Syria as a means of diverting "international attention from the violent repression of its own people."
The manipulation continued at a funeral for eight people killed as the result of Syria's encouragement of the so-called Arab refugees -- who have now been residents of Syria for several generations -- to attempt to breach Israel's borders on “Naksa Day.”
A separate source told Israel National News Monday that each Arab who made the attempt and successfully reached Israel's border earned $1,000 from Syria. Each person who died in the attempt won $10,000 for his or her family. A total of 23 people were killed in the effort, including eight from Yarmouk. Some 350 others were injured, most having been shot as they reached the border fence despite numerous warnings to keep away by the Israeli army.
Arab refugees later became angry during the funeral for those who were killed after defying IDF warnings. Their frustration and grief at being so used was easily manipulated into a new protest -- a solidarity cry for Syrian protesters fighting the Assad regime. The current government – and that of Assad's father – has for decades refused to grant refugees citizenship status.
The Arab refugee protesters then turned on fellow Arabs who support the Syrian government, many of whom are members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP-GC) terrorist organization headed by Ahmed Jibril.
Hundreds stormed PFLP headquarters in Damascus, wielding sticks and stones as they broke into the building. One terrorist was killed. Eleven of those who stormed the building were shot and killed by the terrorists.
*The "Naksa Day" event marks the anniversary of the so-called “setback” – the defeat of the Arab nations who attacked Israel in the 1967 Six Day War. Among those was Syria, which lost the Golan Heights to Israel's forces. Israel subsequently annexed the area, from which Syrian snipers had for years leisurely fired at the Israeli farmers working their fields in the kibbutzim below, killing 140 Israelis.
As published online at ArutzSheva, 9 June 2011
Labels: Israel, Middle East, Political Realities
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, June 09, 2011
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