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In some ways, the images (not to mention the very idea) of Israeli families living in tents, trailers, hotels, and various other inadequate, ad hoc quarters, lacking not only homes but jobs, schools, and synagogues -- people who just two weeks ago were happy, successful, and productive -- are more disturbing than the horrific images of these same people being ripped from their homes and communities.

Even supporters of the deportations ("disengagement") from Gush Katif and Shomron have to be wondering why this action was undertaken without proper accommodations arranged in advance for the predictable influx of people to within "green line" Israel.

Too late now; the deed's been done. And so Ariel Sharon and Company have created a new group of homeless families in Israel.

Clearly the Israeli government is not doing enough to help these beleaguered families. When governments cannot or will not assist their own citizens (and it's difficult to discern which it is in this case; perhaps both), that's normally when foreign aid steps in. But "normal" doesn't apply to Israeli Jews.

The first group that normally shows up to offer humanitarian aid after a disaster (and what else would you call the expulsions from Gaza?), whose stated mission is "to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance," is the International Red Cross. But a search of news sources, as well as the ICRC website, reveals absolutely no mention of their rendering aid to the displaced Israeli Jews of Gush Katif and Shomron. 

I suppose the ICRC has its hands full elsewhere, what with their decades-long struggle to rationalize their unwillingness to accept Magen David Adom as a full member. ("The conflict revolves around the society's use of a six-pointed Star of David as an emblem rather than a red cross or red crescent—both protective symbols recognized under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.") Perhaps they're too busy trying to explain why their Italian affiliates smuggled four Iraqi terrorists through USA checkpoints in order to patch these killers up in their hospitals. Or maybe their visits to check on the well-being of Saddam Hussein don't leave them enough time to think about bringing aid to a bunch of bothersome Jews.

And so we look next to the organization that normally follows on the heels of the ICRC: the United Nations, in the form of the UN High Commission for Refugees. In their mission statement, UNHCR states that their "primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees" and internally displaced persons (IDPs). But although they operate and provide aid in 116 countries, these guys don't seem to have any interest in anything to do with protecting Israeli Jewish families who have been thrown out of their homes in order to make the world a safer place for Moslem suicide bombers and murderers.

I suppose the UN is also too busy elsewhere. No doubt they're working hard to figure out how to frame a new resolution against Israel following the Gaza expulsions. (Maybe they'll get lucky and find some Arab who skinned his knee when he tripped on a chunk of debris from the demolished homes, schools, businesses, and synagogues.)

Either that, or maybe they're feverishly trying to decide whether the homeless Israeli Jews are refugees or IDPs. According to UNHCR definitions:

"Like refugees, they [IDPs] are hapless civilians often caught up in an endless round of civil conflict or persecution. ... What is the difference? When a fleeing civilian crosses an international frontier, he or she becomes a refugee and as such receives international protection and help. If a person in similar circumstances is displaced within his or her home country and becomes internally displaced person then assistance and protection is much more problematic. UNHCR currently helps 5.6 million of those internally displaced, and a lively international debate is underway on how to more effectively help this group."

The UN could, of course, provide preliminary aid while they're taxing themselves to solve this poser. Normally they probably would take time out from their "lively" debating to dole out a few basic human necessities. But not for Israeli Jews. (The answer to their question, depending on your perspective, is either "both" or "it doesn't matter.")

Or the UN could simply create a new entity to deal with the Jewish question. That's what they did in 1949 when they established UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency). This agency was formed to provide "direct relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees." Of course, as we all know, these programs are limited to Arab (non-Jewish) beneficiaries. (And yes, I intended for the first two sentences of this paragraph to read exactly as they do.)

According to the UNRWA website, the agency has about 24,324 staff personnel providing relief to 4,255,120 "Palestinian" [Arab] refugees (from an original 914,000 in 1950). That works out to one UNRWA staff person for every 175 Arabs. Compare that to the UNHCR and its staff of 6,540 helping 19.2 million people in all other aid countries combined -- or one staff person for every 2,936 beneficiaries. 

There are only eight thousand Israeli Jews in need of displacement/refugee assistance; barely three UNHCR staff members would be required to help them. Or about 107 UNRWA staff.

UNRWA claims that most of their employees are local "Palestinian" [Arab] refugees. Inasmuch as these Arabs now have Gaza for their homeland they can no longer claim refugee status, and are therefore no longer eligible for assistance from UNRWA. 

The agency's US$339.3 million budget can and should now be used to help actual refugees from "Palestine:" the Jewish people of Gush Katif and Shomron. While it cannot replace broken lives, that kind of money would go a long way toward building housing, schools, businesses, jobs, and houses of worship -- the same purposes UNRWA alleges for its assistance to Arabs. At least if the money went to Israeli Jews it would actually go towards those objectives rather than to arm terrorists and murderers.

Whenever there is a crisis anywhere in the world -- earthquakes in Turkey, tsunamis in Asia, bombings in Serbia, drought in Ethiopia, and many, many more -- Israel is always in the first wave of sending relief to the affected people of the area. So now, when Israeli people need help, where are the international aid groups, where are the foreign donations? Obviously not in Israel.

Normally when people are forced from their homes for reasons of politics, war, or bigotry, these victims are referred to as "refugees" or "displaced persons." But when the victims are Israeli Jews they are referred to as "extremist settlers who took their damn time getting off the occupied lands and now they deserve everything that happens to them."

To paraphrase George Orwell, clearly some refugees are more equal than others.

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Copyright © 2005 by Janis Badarau.

Janis Badarau is the editor and publisher of Over A Teacup, TeaGuide, and The Cat-Tea Corner.

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