The War of Return
In 1948, during the First Arab-Israeli War, 700,000 Palestinians were forced to leave their homes. More than seventy years later, millions of their descendants are still registered as refugees, and a vast majority of them live in refugee camps. This group—unlike many others displaced after World War II and other conflicts—remains without a permanent status and insists on resettling in the State of Israel. Their belief in the “right of return” is one of the greatest obstacles to successful diplomacy and lasting peace in the region.
In “The War of Return”, Adi Schwartz and Einat Wilf trace the origins of the idea of the “right of return” and trace how the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees—the very body tasked with resolving the refugee problem—has succumbed to Palestinian, Arab, and international political pressure, thereby perpetuating the problem. The two authors argue that the Palestinian demand for a “right of return” lacks both a legal and a moral basis, and they make a passionate appeal to the U.S., the UN, and the EU to acknowledge this fact for the sake of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Einat Wilf
Einat Wilf is a leading figure on issues of foreign policy, the economy, and education in Israel; she is a former member of the Knesset representing the Israeli Labor Party and the “Independence” parliamentary group. She served as an advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres on foreign policy matters. Her analyses are regularly published in prominent international publications.
Adi Schwartz
Adi Schwartz is a researcher and lecturer, an expert on issues related to the Arab-Israeli conflict. His research focuses on the Palestinian refugee issue and the history of Jews from Arab countries. Schwartz has authored articles in both the Israeli press and international media, including the American publications The Wall Street Journal, The Forward, and Tablet, as well as the British publication The Jewish Chronicle.
