Lebanon Gives Palestinians New Work Rights

Lebanon Gives Palestinians New Work Rights

www.nytimes.com

Lebanon passed a law on Tuesday granting Palestinian refugees here the same rights to work as other foreigners, a step in ending years of discrimination that had restricted them to the most menial of jobs.

“We agreed to give Palestinians the minimum of rights, which would improve their living conditions, and this was necessary,” said George Adwan, a Christian lawmaker who had initially objected to the bill. “We only took into consideration their conditions, but we haven’t moved any closer to ma

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This has to be a good thing. Whatever gives these people the chance to make a better life for themselves and integrate into Lebanese life is great for them. Although it is quite a diluted bill, the Palestinian refugees cannot purchase property or work in the public sector over fears that they would look to settle in Lebanon permanently.

The Lebanese and Palestinians have a complicated relationship. Although many Lebanese see their Palestinians as Brothers in their fight against Israel many blame them or at least the PLO (who were operating out of Southern Lebanon) for the 1978 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

''From 1968 onwards, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) began conducting raids from Lebanon into Israel, and Israel began making retaliatory raids against Lebanese villages to encourage the Lebanese people to themselves deal with the interlopers''.

en.wikipedia.org...

Indeed some argue that the Lebanese mistreatment of Palestinians ranks almost as highly as Israeli mistreatment.

It’s no secret that Lebanon is second only to Israel in its mistreatment of Palestinian refugees. There are outspoken elements of the Lebanese political spectrum who make it clear that the Palestinians are unwelcome here, and that they will be expelled at the first obvious opportunity.

www.eurasiareview.com...

However this move also points to the growing confidence of the Lebanese. They obviously feel comfortable about their economy as this legislation also gives Palestinians the right to benefits. That they were able to get anything through in their complicated coalition based government is nigh on a miracle.

Lebanon’s economy has largely eluded the impact of the global crisis and performed remarkably well, reflecting a confidence boost from regained political stability and prudent macroeconomic management. Vulnerabilities have declined but nonetheless remain very high overall, in particular the public debt burden.

www.imf.org...

There is however a worry that this could be used by the Israelis as further evidence that the refugees cannot and should not be repatriated to Israel as they are becoming more tied to Lebanon, although this law does not make them citizens. And on ther other side that if any repatriation of the Palestinian refugees is agreed it will lead to the immediate removal of all Palestinians from Lebanon whether that want it or not.

www.nytimes.com
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[edit on 18-8-2010 by Peruvianmonk]

What do members make of this?

What are the Lebanese motives behind this move over the Palestinian refugee problem? Is it a positive fix for the Palestinians?

I would like to hear your thoughts as Lebanon is a country of complex differences and it would be interesting to discuss them.

Clearly Frankin Lamb, who is living and researching in Lebanon, does not think much of this bill.

The members of Parliament decided to do essentially nothing to meet Lebanon’s legal, moral, religious, social and political obligations to her unwanted refugees. Parliaments gesture will likely not improve the lives of many, if even a handful, of the hundreds of thousands of refugees, 62 years after their expulsion from their homes and lands in Palestine.

www.counterpunch.com...

I suppose that is why it was passed so easily, because it hasn't really changed anything for the Palestinians.

[edit on 19-8-2010 by Peruvianmonk]