Economics over Politics: The Palestine Conciliation Commission and the Palestinian Refugee Problem (Part 2)

Abstract

The previous chapter examined the work of the PCC, a UN body charged with the task of finding an Arab-Israeli compromise and a path to peace. Specifically, its mission was to facilitate a solution to the outstanding issues of refugees, territory and Jerusalem. The chapter concluded on 1 July 1949 when the Lausanne Conference organized by the PCC took an 18-day recess. This chapter will chart the evolution of British and US attitudes towards the Lausanne talks and explain how both nations strategized ahead of the conference’s resumption. It will then detail the actual talks at Lausanne and explain the circumstances for the establishment and activities of the ESM as well as its activities and the context for its interim report. This report became the basis for future diplomatic efforts and for the establishment of UNRWA, initially conceived as a vehicle to resettle and rehabilitate Arab refugees in their host countries.