Washington Spotlight: The Arab Israel Question (sound)

PA hello and welcome to another edition of Washington Spotlight one of the most controversial issues on the world scene involves This Bitter conflict between the Arab states and the new nation of Israel in the Middle East it could explode into another War we've had a lot of heat on it very little light we hope to shed a little more light our question today is American foreign policy making for peace in the critical Middle East and here to discuss it are Mr James ansara executive secretary of the Syrian Lebanese American Federation and Mr Robert Nathan economic consultant to peace in the Middle East Mr anara Mr Charles um I feel that for a period of time United States uh policy towards the Middle East uh was not making for peace however more recently there are indications that the United States is attempting to take some steps that might bring peace to the near East in other words you feel that we are on a better track than we were uh say a year ago yes Mr Nathan how do you feel about this well Mr Charles I Frank to admit that I don't quite understand what American policy is toward the Middle East recently the uh visit to the Middle Eastern countries by Eric Johnson as a president as a special Emissary of the president to attempt to get some agreement on the water and hydro development out there I think has been extremely useful constructive I think our continued Aid to both sides in the Middle East is very useful both as to what our basic policy politically is out there I think there's great uncertainty and I would uh say that it is in the interest of the Arab countries and the interest of Israel and certainly the interest of free nations of the world that the United States take a very aggressive uh position toward bringing peace into the Middle East in other words you believe that we've retrograded rather than a PR no I don't think we made we've regressed or had a fall back in policy I think what we lack yet and I I I'd say that we've lacked it for a long time as a firm positive set of measures which will tend to help bring peace into the Middle East I think I think we're we're still unclear and we have not moved with any clarification in Vigor toward really bringing the two groups that are so hostile to each other together in well now you spoke about the TVA for the Jordan River dividing the waters between the Arab states and Israel do you think that's a solution as a piece of American forign no I don't believe it's a solution uh Mr Charles uh uh because there are certain political conditions which have to be met before you can uh go into any right there do you uh feel that part of the political status is a clear recognition of the existence of the state of Israel uh I think that everybody recognizes the state of Israel I think the problem is to recognize uh the existence of over 800,000 refugees who are sitting on the borders uh who cannot uh uh uh return to their homes and who are in miserable condition I'd like to ask Mr Nathan at this point about that Refugee problem do you feel that there can be any solution short of the refugees returning to their homes where they lived before Oh I certainly do Mr Charles there are 800,000 people there and I feel just to digress a second that this Jordan Valley development whereby the this water which is largely now wasted in terms of irrigation of the land and the development of electric power if that were developed for all countries that could possibly use the benefits that would in turn in in of itself helped absorb these people I think that the the uh the tragic existence of these 800,000 people and the horrible conditions in which they live on relief is something that every human person objects to violently however Israel feels that the the refugee problem was not of their making that they didn't push these people out that the people were became refugees largely because of the activities aggressive activities they feel are the countries in which those refugees are now I'm afraid I would have to disagree with you Mr Nathan uh it is obvious that we have Arab refugees because uh some other people came into uh Palestine uh these are people who have lived on uh the land in Palestine their uh forefathers have lived there for hundreds of years and uh they have been driven out by uh foreign uh people well that that's a question which I disagree with also I mean a statement violently I I think that the best answer is the fact that those who stayed in Israel after the invasion by the Arab countries have been integrated there they they've been treated equally and I think they're doing quite well I will disagree with you there too Mr Nathan I've been there and seen I've been in in uh the uh centers of Arab population in Israel in the last couple years and I think they're doing quite well the problem is though that these people really weren't driven out I think that when the United Nations voted partition between Israel and the Arab part of Palestine by Democratic process the the Arab countries invaded Israel Israel didn't chase the refugees out they were out you will recognize you will recognize Mr Nathan that uh the Arab uh armies uh uh the neighbors uh of Israel did not get into the fighting until months after the fighting broke out in Palestine between the Jews and the Arabs of Palestine but how could I interrupt you both at this point uh regardless of how they got out there are 800,000 refugees in these camps and they represent apparently the biggest obstacle to peace in the area undoubtedly would you say Mr anaro that these refugees could be settled elsewhere other than on the lands on which they once lived Mr Charles the Arab refugees like all peoples want to return to their homes uh at least they say they do there is also the uh question as to whether the uh Arabs countries can absorb them economically now the Arab countries have sheltered them they are in Arab lands and are doing all they can for them at the present time but even deeper than that there is a principle involved what right has any uh country to drive out and I insist they were driven out and not allow those people to return home like get this back again on the problem of resettling well because I I think it's obvious that Mr aner and I disagree completely as to where they driven out or whether the come out and that's a basic fact which I think that time well I what I want to say that aside from whether they were driven out or not uh it's my conception that uh under international law a country which a belligerent is required to R ret take back rather uh people uh who lived in that country refugees who were outside because of the uh war is that so I'd like to hear you that depends really on what the provisions are of the United Nations agreement you see when the United Nations originally partitioned Palestine into Israel and Arab Palestine then there was no problem of refugees of any kind there wouldn't have been had that petition gone ahead peacefully today they've moved out now as to whether or not Israel should take them back or has to take them back or can take them back I think that one thing must be recognized that Israel in the last four years or five years has taken in some 800,000 refugees of which over 300,000 came from the Arab countries people who left all the resources there when they left and they came in in addition when the when the refugee problem originated there were 45,000 Arab refugees in Israel who those have been absorbed no but I want to emphasize those have been absorbed by Israel today there's no more United Nations Refugee problem of Arabs in Israel because they've absorbed the 45,000 the Arab countries have absorbed none of these people that moved in there and in fact they're isolated and I think it's unfortunate and an almost inhumanitas figure uh of the number of Jewish refugees who have come from the Arab countries I think his figure is rather large uh we know that there are Jews living in uh Lebanon Syria and Palestine who are very happy and are Arab citizens of those countries secondly uh you'll have to remember that the Arab refugees who are in the Arab countries do not want to be settled anywhere but in their own homes and that's a that's a basic problem I'd like just a moment to get this back to an American Focus uh recently the secretary of the Arab League Mr hassuna was in this country and he made this point that Americans do not get a fair picture because of prejudice in American pre the press and so on do you believe that's true uh Mr I I certainly do believe it's true because uh of my own experience uh Mr Charles the ex believe that prejudice keeps the Arab Viewpoint from being told properly yes I I uh one of the things that we worry very much as my Federation is uh getting uh uh more information to the American people I'd like to hear Mr uh well I I I read the Press I think in the the major papers and the minor papers and it seems to me uh that while we may have what's charged as a one party press politically here I'm not sure that's even right but it seems to me that as one reads the major papers and listens to the radio and especially follows the UN debates and the open forums that there is a real opportunity for both sides now I have a feeling that the American people are greatly sympathetic with these refugees and want to help them as a matter of fact do make contri American money that's partly sustaining them we we the United States provides for both sides about 100 over say 125 150 million Direct in through the UN but I think that the the Americans have heard this story and should continue to hear it the important thing is that the Americans it seems to me want peace and and uh what has been accomplish is a complete inrang or what exists and there just doesn't seem to be willingness on the part of the Arab countries to sit down and work it out just brief a brief comment before we close Mr Charles the the policy of the United States which I am hopeful about at the present time is that for the first time the United States is recognizing that the Arabs might have some rights near East I'm sorry to cut you off thank you Mr anara and you Mr Nathan for a most interesting discussion on this critical problem you have just heard the opposing opinions of two outstanding personalities on a subject of national importance the purpose of American Film Forum is to bring you each month in Sight and Sound leaders in our national life discussing a wide variety of domestic and international issues we cannot resolve any of these problems in this brief presentation however it is important that the issues be fairly and impartially stated we invite you our audience to continue the disc discussion where we have terminated we hope you found this month's Forum stimulating we shall be with you again next month when we will discuss another topic of national importance this is meantime your moderator mark wasch [Music]