1968_4_arabisraelwar

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would be allowed to return to their homes until August 10, unless they were
considered security risks; those leaving after July 4 would not be readmitted.
The first group of 52 families, totaling 150 persons, was selected by the International
Red Cross on humanitarian grounds to return on July 18.
The Jordanian government held up repatriation by refusing to allow the
Red Cross to distribute official Israeli application forms. However, on August
6, an agreement was reached between Israeli and Jordanian representatives,
extending the deadline until August 31 and providing for the use of a
form in Hebrew, Arabic, and English, that bore the names of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the
State of Israel. Thirty-two thousand application forms for 112,000 persons
were submitted, and applications for 21,000 persons were approved.
Repatriation started on August 18, but the numbers brought to the crossing
points by the Jordanian authorities fell far short of the daily quotas approved
by Israel. By the end of the month only 14,000 had crossed, despite
appeals channeled by the Red Cross to the Jordanian authorities, to speed
up the return. An Israel government communique, on August 24, stated that
the deadline would not be extended again:
The return of the West Bank residents was accompanied by violent incitement
by the Jordanian authorities against the Israel authorities on the West Bank, as
well as by pressure exerted on Arab residents to return even against their will.
The Jordanian authorities are exploiting Israel's willingness to solve a humanitarian
problem, with the avowed intention of fomenting hatred and unrest. The
Government of Israel cannot and will not under any circumstances permit such
exploitation.
However, the government did not preclude consideration of further applications
for the reunification of families, based on the merits of each case,
and the return of former West Bank residents in this category started in
November. On September 6 Foreign Minister Eban told the press that the
government was also prepared to allow the return, within a fixed period, of
those who had not made use of their permits, but Jordanian representatives
failed to turn up at meetings called to make the necessary arrangements.
Shortly after hostilities ended, the government appointed two committees
to consider the problem of the 1948 refugees: one for dealing with the political
aspects and one with rehabilitation and development plans. Speaking
on the refugee question in the UN Assembly's Special Political Committee,
on December 14, Israeli representative Michael Comay voiced reservations
about UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) totals for pre-1967 and
post-1967 refugees. He also pointed out only about one-fifth of the number
of persons said to have been displaced were living in camps.
Let me state most categorically that none of these people have been expelled or
driven out, as has been alleged [he declared]. In the area presently held by Israel,
two and a quarter million Jews and one and a quarter million Arabs are coexisting
without serious strife.