Eruption in the Middle East

There are many criticisms to be made of Stanley Diamond’s “Eruption in the Middle East” in the Winter 1957 DISSENT. Two main points, however, seem to illustrate the failure of his argument.

1. Mr. Diamond says that “The indicated immediate solutions seem rather obvious. First, the Arab refugee situations must be quickly ameliorated. These people are rotting away in an irredentist no-man’s land, and most of the border incidents are rooted in their disaffection.”

There is certainly no arguing with the importance of relieving the suffering of Arab refugees. But to claim that this should be a first step in the solution of the Arab-Israel dilemma is not so sound. The first step is the acceptance of the existence of Israel by Arab leaders and their willingness to carry on negotiations of some sort—at least to sit down at a table—with Israel’s leaders, as Israel’s leaders have urged ever since the signing of the “temporary” armistice agreements between the Arab states and Israel. Until this recognition and this willingness to talk is shown by the Arab leaders, it is impossible to start settlement of the refugee problem—or any other problem—on a lasting basis. How can Israel make an attempt at ameliorating the plight of the refugees when the leaders of the countries where the refugees are living will not consent to speak with Israel’s leaders?

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