Introduction: The Palestine Arab Problem and the International Community

Abstract

The Palestine Arab refugee problem has been at the forefront of the Arab-Israeli conflict and international affairs since 1948. In the twenty-first century the refugee issue looms as one of, if not, the most intractable issues in the conflict. The political role of widely dispersed Palestinians, including those defined as refugees who remain in camps in Lebanon, Syria, and in the West Bank, and even more dramatically, the concept of a “right of return” to their previous residences now in Israel, remain constant challenges to any negotiated peace proposals.