Whether We Like It Or Not, Many Palestinians Are Calling Lebanon Home

The Voice Of America interviews “Taha” who lives in the Shatila refugee camp

as much as Taha says he loves Palestine, he cannot envision himself there. He says he has been here so long, he is different than his brother who remained behind. He says the refugees have become what they have become. Unlike his relatives in Israel, he says the refugees cannot live with the Israelis. […] He would just like to be allowed to set up business outside the camp. He says he is Lebanese.

Cynics will say that of course the Voice of America would feature people like Taha because America’s interest is in pressuring Lebanon to take in the Palestinians. Christian parties like the FPM, the LF and the Phalanges always maintained that there’s an international conspiracy to nationalize the Palestinians in Lebanon, and Muslims play along to pay lip service to the Palestinian cause

But the anecdotal reality in not far from where Taha is. In fact I’m surprised that the Lebanese just take it for granted that Palestinians who were born in Lebanon and who lived all their lives here would like to go somewhere else and call it home.. The Lebanese should have a real strategy when it comes to the final regional settlement, and not just stick their heads in the sands.