The Palestinian Community in Britain: Features of Exile and Attitudes Toward the Right of Return
Chapter 3
The Palestinian Community in the UK
Historical overview
Few researchers have addressed the issue of the Palestinian community in Britain or in Europe. This is also the case with regard to the Arab communities in Britain and Europe. This means that the literature and information available is not enough to give an accurate view of the features of life of these communities or adequate indicators about their attitudes on different issues, including their right to return for example . Apart from the absence of official information from the British and other European governments, Sami thinks that the lack of Palestinian and Arab academic institutions dealing with the communities is another cause. In fact those that exist are still in their infancy and are not active enough. Nizar shares the views.
There were very few Palestinians in Britain in the first half of the twentieth century. Karmi mentioned that it was very hard to find any Palestinians when she arrived with her family from Palestine just after the Nakba in 1948; even the Arab communities in general were very few . She herself migrated to Britain because her father was working in the Arabic service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). This was the kind of existence in the aftermath of the Nakba. Workers with the British mandatory authority and others who were on visit to Britain could not return after the Nakba. In general, Europe was not so attractive to the Arabs, including Palestinians. This was perhaps because of the two World Wars, which had taken place in the space of less than twenty years, earlier in the past century. Their aim was the Americas: the United States, Central and South America. Shiblak mentioned that the Palestinian community in Chile is one of the more widely recognised of these early migrations .
In historical terms, the migration to Britain by Palestinians is a recent development that only gathered momentum in the last three decades. The number started to rise in the late sixties after the Six Day War of 1967, when the West Bank and Gaza Strip were occupied by the Israeli forces . Some students also came to continue their education at British universities . The number of Palestinians started to become noticeable from the late seventies onwards, through the eighties and into the nineties. This influx was a direct consequence of the civil war in Lebanon, which began in 1975 and lasted until 1989, the Israeli invasion and occupation of Lebanon in 1978 and 1982 respectively, and the Gulf War of 1991. The invasion of Kuwait by Iraq had disastrous consequences on the existence of the Palestinian community in Kuwait. Hundreds of thousands of them migrated to several countries, among them Britain.
Categories
Palestinian refugees and stateless persons in Britain can be generally classified into three main categories: (i) 1948 Palestine refugees; (ii) 1967 Palestinian refugees (often referred to as displaced persons); and (iii) Palestinian refugees displaced from the 1967 Occupied Territories who are in Europe due to revocation of residency, deportation or owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted by reason of race, religion, nationality, or membership of particular social group or political opinion .
There is another classification, which divides the Palestinian communities into two categories. The first is that of immigrants who are well educated, and fully integrated into the British society. The second is the larger and is made up mainly of immigrants to Britain from Lebanon. They are not as well-educated as the first, are much closer to each other, and their English language is not as good as the first category. They feel a big gap between themselves and the first category of the Palestinian community.
We can attribute this to several reasons: Firstly, there are the differences in economic circumstances. Secondly, there is the issue of attitude toward religion. A third factor is the difference of background. Fourthly, the legal status of a good number of the new arrivals remains unresolved, even after the passage of a considerable period of time (more than five years in many instances). This affects their disposition and attitude toward many things, among them integration into the new society.
All the previous points have been mentioned by Mahmoud who came from Al-Bas camp in southern Lebanon. His relatives are like 50 other families of at least 150 persons who are all in a similar state of limbo with their immigration status undecided. Mr. Chmalakh (the head of the Palestinian Association of Britain confirmed this. The main factor which both categories, new and old, have in common is their collaboration to support the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Chamalkh confirmed that he encountered no problems in this regard since he became head of the Palestinian Association. Sami and Mahmoud mentioned this as well.
Palestinian organizations in Britain
There are few Palestinian organizations in Britain. There are at least four organisations -according to Madi and Chamalakh- that are exclusive to Palestinian members (there may be others which are local to some cities and so unknown to the author) and others who work for Palestine and have an open membership policy for Palestinians and supporters of Palestine from all sectors of British society.
The Palestinian Association in UK, the Palestinian Forum in Britain and the General Union of Palestinian Students are national organisations. There is also the Association of the Palestinian Community in Manchester as well.
Among the most prominent bodies are; the Palestinian Return Centre, Al-Awda Group, the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, Rediscovering Palestine, Deir Yassin Remembered, Amos Trust, and Friends of Beir Zeit University. There are besides individual efforts at mobilization and advocacy for the Palestinian cause and restoration of their national rights.
There are notable British citizens are very passionate supporters of the cause. They organize pilgrimage trips to Bethlehem, Nazareth, and other religious Christian sites. Elijah Trust is one of these. There is a degree of coordination between these organisations in order to strengthen the pro-Palestine campaign. There are two umbrellas for this; Rediscovering Palestine and the Joint Committee for Palestine.
There are also charities which collect money for Palestine and offer assistance to Palestinians in need. The Palestinian Relief and Development Fund (INTERPAL) and Medical Aid for Palestinians are both leading British Charities which help Palestinians.
Social life
It was obvious that most members of the Palestinian communities have their social life among themselves as Palestinians especially among those who came to Britain in the last two decades. They meet each other regularly and organise events on a regular basis. Sami, Nizar and Mahmoud live within an extended family. Nizar has three married brothers, his mother and his uncle. Nizar's family is in Britain and meet three times weekly. Sami has his mother, father and married brother who live in Southgate next to each other. He himself has three children. Their children have been brought up together. They almost live as if they are in the same house. They cooperate in almost every aspect of their lives. More than this, they have links with their sisters in Lebanon and USA. All of them visit each other on a regular basis. The elderly father and mother move to stay with each son regularly. Both Sami and Nizar have a circle of 30 Palestinian families whom they visit and share a social life with.
The Eid festivals for Muslims , which are observed twice a year, offer opportunities for Palestinian families to meet and share the atmosphere of friendship and festivity. The Palestinian Associations and the Palestinian Forum organize parties for their members. Palestinian families visit each other on both occasions. The Association organizes other social activities during the summer (Barbecues) and on other occasions such as charity dinners to collect donations for Palestinian orphans and in Christmas for Palestinian Christian Palestinian communities. All Palestinians share in both festivities alike. Chmalakh and all other interviewees without exception corroborated the above points.
Charitable ventures are not confined to major organizations. Individual families also take initiatives. As an example, the Al-Jondi family organized a charitable party at their home in a suburb of London to support the Medical College in Palestinian Jerusalem University. Their residence was full of members of the Palestinian community in Britain, members of the Arab community and British friends who support the Palestinians. The donations collected were £3,370 pounds .
The Palestinian Identity
I agree with Meiari that identity could change according to the circumstances that an individual finds himself in. Meiari found the Palestinians have classified themselves in different ways through the 20th century. The Muslim identity was obvious during the Ottoman era before the First World War. It became an Arab identity after that and then more Palestinian under the Israeli occupation .
The interviewees classified themselves in different ways. There were four categories of classifications: British, Palestinian, Arab and Muslim. Of course, there was an overlap between these identities according to the interviewees. Hameed who is 19 years old considers himself a British Muslim with a Palestinian origin. Sami said that he is a British Palestinian. Somia said that she is Palestinian. All the interviewees who had not acquired British citizenship excluded the British identity with the exception of Hameed. However the identity that appeared as the common one among all is the Palestinian identity. Nizar said that he is a Palestinian Arab. Sami combined all four: he said that he is Palestinian British Arab and Muslim. Khadija said that she is Palestinian British.
Several factors helped to strengthen the Palestinian identity of the interviewees. Khadija, Somia, Intsar and Hameed mentioned that they became proud to be Palestinian when tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of London and several other British cities to support the Palestinian cause after the outbreak of the Aqsa Intifada.
Somia is attached to the Palestinian identity as well, from the flood of stories being told to her and her sisters by her father who had a very difficult experience as a refugee in the Gaza Strip.
Where is home?
The first thing that I faced in this issue was to define home. There were two different answers to two different definitions of home according to the interviewees. Eight out of nine consider Britain as home, when I defined it as where do you feel comfortable? Most of them have built good memories such as Hammed as a Liverpool supporter or like Khadija who has so many friends and doesn't like a change of domicile, or for Mahmoud who finds Britain with less tension than Lebanon. Nizar feels relaxed when he catches the flight travelling to Britain from Lebanon. Moath (a GP who looks after patients in a town of population 50,000 in the suburbs of London where there are just two medical clinics) feels the same way when travelling from the Middle East to London. Moath has 10 close British friends in the town where he lives.
On the other hand, when I defined home as the geography you feel attached to wherever you go, Palestine was the confirmed answer from them. Moath, Somia and Mahmoud considered home as where one finds identity. Sami gave his own definition of home by saying home is where you feel like others in so many things, he added that it is Palestine where I imagine that I find that.
Somia, who is 21 years-old was decisive in regarding Palestine as home from the beginning. She is from the Gaza Strip where she was born and brought up. She has many relatives who still live there. Somia used the term: "definitely Palestine", in response to: where is home?
This drove home the reality that "home" as "place" is one of the most complicated both theoretically and politically pressing issues facing us today , and a sense of place may become more intense when they are perceived as being under threat . That is why Palestine is preserved as home for Palestinians wherever they travel regardless of the period of exile.
The impact of the pro-Palestine campaign on the Palestinian community
Somia, Zainab, Hameed, Moath and Mahmoud confirmed that the campaign, which had been organized in Britain to support Palestine and Palestinians, had left a deep feeling in their hearts that they as Palestinians should do more. Zainab started to work with a Palestinian charity in the aftermath of the Intifada. Sami and Moath mentioned the point of the result of the survey that more than 59% of the European population think that Israel is danger to the peace in the World. Moath said it had left no room for him than to be active. Besides being a full time medical doctor, recently he has started to write articles in Arabic analysing the situation in Palestine, which he sends to his circle of email correspondents. Sami travelled to Berlin last May at his own expense in order to share with other Palestinian communities in Europe their reaffirmation of adherence to their right of return.
Mahmoud said: as a Palestinian I might feel ashamed for putting in less effort, when I find that so many British people are working so hard to support my brothers and sisters in Palestine.
Some Arab figures established the Arab Club in Britain, which aims to preserve Arab cultural identity. Its main activity is to bring the Arab community together in a cordial social atmosphere. The Palestine issue tops the agenda of the Club which organizes many functions to raise awareness and support for it. Some Palestinians have joined the Club and have since been active members. Sami is one of them. They produce a monthly bulletin in Arabic called Al-Orwa (the Bond). It is mainly about the news of Arab Community. In an interview with Mr. Fouad Haddad (editor of the bulletin), he disclosed that it is circulated to 3,400 Arabs. Palestine is its main topic. They also established a weekend school to teach the Arabic language.
The Palestinian Return Centre has motivated the Palestinians in the UK to be active together in affirming their right to return. It organised a conference in July 2003, where 500 Palestinians came together on that day.
The Association of Palestinian Communities in Britain invited the famous Palestinian singer Abu-Arab who specialises in traditional Palestinian songs and dancing (Mawal and Dabka). Both parties in London and Manchester were well attended. Abu Arab lives in Homs Camp in Syria. He is a well-known advocate of the right of return.
All the interviewees were giving donations to Palestinians in need on a regular basis through charities such as Interpal and MAP.
The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) has become actively involved in supporting the Palestinian cause in the aftermath of the events, which took place in Jenin camp in the West Bank in March 2002. They organised a massive demonstration on 13 of April 2002 to support the Palestinians, in which 100,000 gathered that day. In the following demonstration with the anti-war movement in Hyde Park, an estimated half a million persons gathered on the anniversary of the Intifada in a show of support for Palestine. MAB has become a central part of the anti-war campaign and an advocate of Palestinian rights. Members of the Palestinian community have found these activities to be a good way to show support and have been very much involved in these activities according to Somia, Sami, Mahmoud and Hameed.
Racism in Britain
The outlook of some Britons toward immigrants as "others" has left deep feelings of alienation among some of the interviewees. They are constantly being reminded that they do not belong. Nizar and Mahmoud mentioned a growing tendency of impoliteness from some white Britons. They point out that these attitudes are often encountered on the streets and while driving. Karmi mentions in her book how shocked she was when she came up against these racist attitudes in her early days at school in the fifties:
"My sense of assimilation was soon to be sorely tested. One day at school, I was queuing for lunch with my friend Josie. We were late, and the two girls ahead of us seemed to be holding everyone up. Urging Josie to hurry, I pushed past them and as I did so heard one of the girls mutter something at me. I did not catch it, but I noticed Josie going red and looking embarrassed. When I asked her what was wrong, she said, "It was one of those girls we pushed past. She called you FF.'' "What" I asked, mystified. "Don't you know what is this?" said Josie with disbelief. I shook my head. "Filthy foreigner," she said slowly, "that's what it means." I was astounded. Why would anyone want to say such a thing about me? It gave me a sudden sickening feeling that I was somehow different, undesirable, contemptible. I could not reconcile this with my belief in my own assimilation, and it preyed on my mind."
This feeling is also shared by Khadija and Fatima, two girls who wear hijab (the veil which a Muslim female wears to cover her head) as a remarkable recognition of being Muslim by others. Sami and Moath referred to the racist attitudes of a significant segment of the British public. This was reflected in the election of the UK Independence Party in the recent European elections according to Sami. Moath mentioned as well the election of Mr. Robert Kilroy-Silk as a Member of European Parliament by the British voters despite his racist remarks against Arabs.
Those comments are matched with what the study of Duke, Gregory and Sales revealing the high level of racial harassment in Britain .
The current situation in Palestine and the impact of the Intifada (The Palestinian Uprising)
The continuous troubles in Palestine, which have become the norm, have affected all interviewees considerably. They have become increasingly more attached to Palestine with the passage of each day, regardless of their age, gender or proficiency. It was noticeable that Khadija, Hameed and Intisar as teenagers have been very active trying to support Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They joined most pro-Palestine demonstrations in the past four years of Al-Aqsa Intifada, which took place as a response to the controversial visit by Ariel Sharon, the leader of the then opposition Likud Party on 28 September 2000.
Moath recalls his profound anger in October 2000 when the head-teacher of his son's school refused to allow him to participate in a protest march in support of the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. Moath kept his son at home three weeks later in order to find another school as a way of showing his objection and anger towards the policy of the previous school and to show his son how valuable is Palestine according to him.
Sami became an executive member of two Palestinian organisations recently. All the interviewees were severely touched by the killing of Mohammed Al-Durra . This has become a part of a wider sorrow for the Palestinians living under Israel Occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Mahmoud, Fatima, Khadija and Hameed said that they were proud to be Palestinian. Hameed chose to study law in order to defend fellow Palestinians.
Hameed mentioned that seeing Palestinian children and youngsters being killed on a daily basis stirred the feeling in my heart that Palestine is my home and that I must go back to defend my brothers and sisters. In the same way, he confirmed his desire to live permanently in Palestine, to be freed and for Palestinians to live in peace.
As parents, Sami, Nizar, Moath and Mahmoud said that the Intifada helped them to teach their children about the history of Palestine and about the finer details of "who, which, where, how, why and when' things related to Palestine. It shaped the Palestinian identity for parents and children according to the interviewees.
Hameed and Somia confirmed that they had become more active with the student society in their universities after the Intifada. "I want to do whatever I can to support my brothers and sisters in Palestine", Hameed said.
This was exactly the outcome of a survey of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza done by Mahmoud Meiari on the impact of the Intifada on their collective identity. It found that the Intifada had raised the sense of national pride of being Palestinian .
The religious factor
Sami, Nizar and Fatima mentioned that practicing their religion had motivated them to remember Palestine, since there was a whole chapter in Quran called Al-Isra'a . They added: "we are reminded of Jerusalem and Palestine on a regular basis in different occasions especially by scholars during Friday prayers".
Bishara as a Palestinian Christian found he was inspired to practicing Christianity as a result of his attachment to Palestine. He said that he is active among English churches highlighting the Palestine cause. The links between the Churches in England and Palestine have allowed Palestinian religious figures to travel to Britain to raise public awareness about the situation in Palestine. Bashara added that the ignorance of the British public that there is a Christian community in Palestine has given him greater motivation to keep working among them.
The author recalls the same comment from Afif Safieh, head of the Palestinian delegation in UK, on more than one occasion confirming Bishara's point. After revealing his religious background, Safieh, a Christian Palestinian, was regularly asked by audiences: "when did you convert to Christianity?
War against terrorism
The events of the 11th of September 2001 led to dramatic changes in the laws of several countries in the West including Britain. The British House of Commons approved legislation to arrest people under suspicion and keep them in prison without trial. These new anti-terrorism and security legislation have had far- reaching consequences on Britain's Muslim and Arab population. Hameed mentioned with anger that he had been stopped eight times by police since September 2001. He said that there was no reason but the colour of my skin, which made them stop and search me. He considers this an abuse to his privacy. Nizar expressed his desire to visit Buckingham Palace with his family after it was opened to tourists. He did not however do so because of his deep fear that his Arab identity would be a cause of security concern. He explained that he would never have had such reservations if the events of September and its sequences had not happened.
Relation with other Arab communities
Sami, Nizar and Zainab mentioned that the Arab population of London is large. This has given them an opportunity to have many Arab friends. One of the main issues to be raised when they see their friends is the continuing miserable situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Nizar said that in Harlesden where he lives it is hard to feel a foreigner. He said that he had heard that Brent Borough is the largest multiethnic district in Europe. He said there were more than 14 Muslim institutions, tens of shops, which sell Arab food. He knows 50 Palestinian families who live in the Brent and Barnet Boroughs, which are next to each other.
Al-Jazeera satellite channel
Arab satellite channels are a phenomenon that has started to attract wide attention both from within and outside the Arab world. The policy of openness and the professionalism in private Arab satellite channels have made possible the broadcasting of important events, as they happen, to all audiences wherever they are. Khatib said: "These satellite stations are not subject to direct political censorship in Arab countries. Thus, on the one hand, they are bolder, and on the other, they are more professional, since they have to respect a certain balance in their news coverage.."
This means that Palestinians all over the world including Britain can be very close to their relatives who are suffering under occupation. The consequences of this live coverage on them are very pronounced.
Thus, Satellite channels have played a vital role in shaping the Palestinian identity of the interviewees I met. All the interviewees have Arab channels at their homes. Nizar. Sami, Mahmoud, Moath, and Bishara have mentioned that they are addicted to watch Al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based Arab satellite channel. Somia and Khadija also watch Al-Jazeera regularly. The fierce competition among Arab Satellite channels has given great opportunity to Arab audiences worldwide to follow the news in Palestine for example in very fine detail. There are several Arab channels, which are specialised in news. A good proportion of their programmes, including the news, are broadcast live.
The influence of internet
It was quite obvious that internet facilities have kept Moath, Nizar and Somia very attached and linked to the sources of news in Palestine. They regard themselves as highly aware of the events, which are taking place in the West Bank and Gaza Strip because of the Internet. Moath has seven different Palestinian websites on his personal computer. He logs onto them on a daily basis. Hameed and Intisar are using the Internet in promoting the Palestinian cause. Sami's and Moath's email lists are active. Both keep sending the news from Palestine to the lists.
War in Iraq
The British involvement in the war in Iraq and the strong and well-organised campaign against the British role provided many opportunities to highlight the Palestinian issue. The policy of the campaigners was to make a linkage between Iraq and Palestine, in the sense that both have been occupied. This led to Sami's involvement in these activities as a steward and helping the organizers. Hameed and Somia did the same in accompanying their family and joining the protesters in Manchester.
The British tradition
Chamlakh mentioned that the previous president of the Association of the Palestinian Community in the UK, Mr. Michele Abdel Messeih QC (Queen's Council), the first Palestinian and Arab to become a QC was motivated to enter the Law sector after being a regular visitor to the Speakers Corner in Hyde Park in West London. He found his ability to advocate issues after a series of debates in defending his right as a Palestinian with other debaters in an atmosphere of freedom of speech, which London offers its inhabitants and visitors.
Nizar praised the opportunities to learn that Britain has offered him as a resident in order to continue his studies. He managed to get his first degree in translation. He is now in his second year of studying law. He found himself more active in supporting the Palestinian cause here than in Lebanon where he was living before coming to London.
The Jewish community in Britain
It has been found through the interviews that the attachment of the Jewish community in Britain to the State of Israel has affected the mood and attitude of the interviewees in a dramatic way. It has become a motive for some of them to keep Palestine in mind. Moath sees it as a continuous reminder of the big theft of Palestine and of his property, personally. Mahmoud and Nizar both believe it is unfair that the Jewish community should have the luxury of holding dual nationality (being British and Israeli citizen) whereas they are both stateless persons. Mahmoud has been an asylum seeker for seven years, while Nizar has been waiting for a reply to his British citizenship application for more than seven years. The achievements of the well-organised and highly educated Jewish community give Hameed an incentive to continue his studies to get a higher degree. Sami is a regular reader of the Jewish Chronicle (a weekly newspaper published in Britain). He is quite astonished by its content which gives the impression that it is an Israeli rather than being British newspaper.
The right of return
Besides the issues above, which were raised in the interviewees, the author also directly asked each of the interviewees how they felt about the right of return. Would they consider any alternative instead of going back to their village, town, or city of origin in Palestine? Would they consider compensation or choosing another place to settle and live permanently? If they rigidly stick to their right of return, would they consider an immediate opportunity that might be afforded to return to their place of origin?
Sami express his sole desire to return to Tarsheeha, his parents' town of origin in the northern part of historical Palestine. Despite being well settled in north London for over 27 years and working as a business banker, he has no hesitation to go and live in Palestine. There was a clear differentiation among all the interviewees between preserving their right to go back and settle in Palestine on the one hand and their actual living in it on the other.
Moath explained, ‘I have property in Jafa, which I inherited from my father. I have the documents and I want to leave it empty for me in the future. At the same time, I might not live permanently in Palestine like the Lebanese who live in the diaspora and have the right to go back to Lebanon any time they wish to do so.
The same argument was given by the others. Nizar mentioned that he has full right to compensation. It was not a matter of option. Regardless of the case, my parents and I have suffered a lot. It is very essential for me to be compensated for my lost property.
It was almost the same conclusion which the British Parliamentary Committee reached through their fact-finding mission after they visited the Palestinian camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, West bank and Gaza Strip. It stated under the title "Cohesion and Constituency amongst refugees views":
"Everywhere we went, refugees shared the view that the right of return must apply to all refugees, no matter what their current physical or financial position, where ever they were. Now living in Ain al-Hilwa camp in Lebanon, Hassan Abu Ali Hassan (al-Khalisa, Safad), Said: "Few months ago some Palestinians, people of Palestinian origin living in Canada, came to see what was happening on the border, in the South of Lebanon (Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000). This reflects the adherence of the Palestinian, wherever they exist, to their right of return to Palestine...""
Analysis of results
It has been found that the Palestinian community in Britain has been affected by different factors directly or indirectly that may shape their attitude towards different things. Some of these factors could be common to other exile communities because of it being from the same source, such as a government law affecting others who share common factors with the Palestinians in Britain, such as refugees. Immigration law could be an example of this.
Another example is the attitude of the British public toward Arabs or Muslims where Palestinians share the same fate with them. The consequences of the incident of September 2001 and the war in Iraq could be some of the examples.
The Palestinians have their own additional factors that will make their exile unique. Unforeseen return to Palestine and continued Jewish immigration and settlement of Palestine are some of these factors.
It does not necessarily mean that the attitude of the Palestinian community in Britain towards all issues is the same. This may be related to different backgrounds, economic situation, legal status, the level of education, the period of domicile in Britain and the degree of integration within the British society.
The most obvious factor that unites the Palestinian community in Britain is the current situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. As such they have become much closer to each other.
Satellite channels and the internet have been seen as valuable devices in keeping the Palestinians attached to Palestine and helping them in being active in support of the Palestinian cause.
The role of NGO's in promoting the Palestinian cause cannot be ignored, where the opposition to the war in Iraq has strengthened the pro-Palestine campaign, which led to the involvement of more Palestinians within it.
It is extremely difficult for any refugee or foreigner in Britain to become fully integrated into British society. The Palestinian community in Britain is no exception.
The Palestinian in Britain like any other human being feels attached to Britain as a place of residence, they see it as home in this sense. This is not contradictory with considering Palestine as home for the collective national identity and staying attached to the place of inherited culture and land. This will continue to be the case for as long as the settler-occupation of Palestine exists.
The perception of the Palestinian in Britain toward the right of return is not exceptional or different to that of one of the refugees in the camps inside the West Bank and Gaza Strip or outside in the camps in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon according to the report of British commission that visited the camps. There was no way for them to surrender the right of return.
Conclusion:
It is quite obvious that there has been some bias in the treatment by some researchers of the Palestinian refugee cause. It did not receive the degree of attention that such critical issue deserves.
The Palestinian refugee problem cannot be dealt with like any other refugee problem in the world. There are several differences that make the Palestinian refugee problem unique. Firstly, the Palestinian refugee case is the longest ever refugee problem among all others which stands unsolved. Secondly, although the UN was established to solve problems in the world, it was responsible for creating the problem of the Palestinian refugees when it issued Resolution 181 which led to the mass expulsion of the Palestinian refugees from their homes and their replacement by Jewish emigrants. Thirdly, contrary to the UNHCR policy to secure the return of refugees in general as the most durable solution, the Palestinian refugees have been denied their right to return. In addition, they have been looked after by UNRWA as an agency, which is linked to the UN without a protection clause in its constitution.
The opinion of refugees in general with regard to repatriation to their homes of origin has been affected by different factors such as the situation there, the treatment of host countries, their economic situation and political involvement. The attitude of refusing to accept refugees has become one of the main issues to dominate the political debate in Europe in recent decades, and can be seen as one of the main factors that have led to the sense of alienation among the refugees. This means they are somehow isolated and their existence in exile is temporary. So, the idea of going back home is always valued.
There were not many studies that have examined the Palestinian community in Britain in depth and measuring their attitudes on key issues such as their right of return.
The Palestinian community as part of the Arab, Muslim community on one hand and as a part of the refugee sector on the other hand, have been affected negatively by different factors such as racism in Europe and Britain, both in the official and public domain on one side and the impact of the events of September 11th and its consequences on the other. Dramatic changes in British law towards Arabs and Muslims have led to Palestinians in Britain to feel they are unjustly targeted.
There were so many factors that played a role in preserving a strong national affinity among the Palestinian community in the UK with their homeland. The events in the West Bank and Gaza Strip where Palestinians are being killed by the Israeli army is one of the main factors that sustains this affinity. The Palestinians in Britain have also carried their identity with pride. All of the interviewees confirmed the important role the Aqsa Intifada has played in shaping their Palestinian identity.
The British tradition of freedom of speech and high standards of living has changed the way of life of some Palestinians such that they are highly educated. This caused the response of Palestinians in Britain to become more attached to Palestine. They see themselves much closer to Palestine than in Arab countries.
Any means of being up to date with the news and events in Palestine have become popular with the Palestinians in Britain such as satellite channels and the internet. Al-Jazeera satellite channel plays a leading role in keeping the Palestinian people in touch with the events in Palestine. The second generation is well aware of Palestine through watching the news. It has become a way of bridging generations.
The role of NGO's in keeping the Palestinian community together in a social framework, motivating them to be active in supporting Palestine has been vital in shaping the Palestinian identity. The Palestinians in the UK have shown a great degree of support for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They have contributed to the work of various NGO's, joined pro-Palestine demonstrations and rallies in cities across Britain, and disseminated information through the internet.
From the findings of this essay, the Palestinian community in the UK, as part of the Palestinians in Europe and exile have a strong opinion with regard to affirming their right of return. The interest in return to the exact villages and homes, from which they or their fathers or grandfathers were expelled, is still very strong. They acknowledge enjoying a better standard of living in Britain, but at the same time that does not mean that they have no interest to retain their rights in Palestine. They do not see any option of value as an alternative to their right of return, and so they won't abandon their right to Palestine. The issue of compensation is considerably significant to them but not as an alternative to the right of return.
It is evident that any political project to solve the Palestinian problem at the expense of the right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, where they or their fathers where expelled from, will be very difficult to implement.
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