Poll finds that more Arab Israeli than Jewish Israelis think the Jewish, Palestinian refugees should get same attention.
By JPOST.COM STAFFJewish refugees from Triploi arrive in Haifa 521(photo credit: Arnold Behr/Jerusalem Post Archives)
Israel must bring justice to Jewish refugees from Arab countries, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said in remarks at the international conference on Justice for Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries Sunday evening."The Arab world has neglected Arab refugees for decades and has used them as a battering ram against Israel, while Israel who was just born as a nation-state, has managed to absorb and resettle the Jewish refugees from Arab countries and turn them into productive citizens." he said.Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon added that the Israeli government is putting its "full force" behind this issue despite its implications for peace negotiations with the Palestinians."It is not intended to put obstacles in the way of negotiations – a true peace negotiation process must have an historical base of truth in order to survive," he said in remarks to the conference, hosted by the World Jewish Congress, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry for Senior Citizens.A new poll released at the conference showed that a greater proportion of Arab Israelis (54%) than Jewish Israelis (48%) thought the Jewish refugee issue should be treated like the Palestinian refugees issue.
