Lebanon enslaves Palestinians, pays lip service to rights

[Mediocrates]

http://www.smh.com.au/world/lebanons...022-16xsq.html

From news article:

A resident of the notoriously squalid Sabra and Chatila refugee camp in southern Beirut, he is one of an estimated 250,000 Palestinians still living in Lebanon. Until recently, Palestinians such as al-Issawi have been legally barred from working in all but the most menial of jobs, as well as being prevented from owning property or getting access to Lebanon's health and social welfare system.

In August, after years of heated debate, the Lebanese parliament finally passed new laws formally lifting the restrictions on Palestinians to work. ''It meant that for the first time we are close to being recognised as human beings,'' says Leila El-Ali, executive director of Najdeh, a Palestinian advocacy group that has long campaigned for equal rights for refugees in Lebanon.

El-Ali is pleased the new law has provoked real debate among Lebanese about the plight of Palestinian refugees but says that it will have no impact on the ground.

''All of the professions - doctors, lawyers, engineers, pharmacists, academia - will remain closed to Palestinians,'' she says. ''There is no syndicate here that will admit Palestinian members.

''And to actually be allowed to work legally in other jobs, the new law says you need specific guarantees from your employer - things that in the end make it very difficult for Lebanese to employ Palestinians.

''Despite [our] being refugees in an Arab country that is overall sympathetic to the cause of Palestinians, the truth is that Lebanese don't want us here.''

[Mediocrates]

http://yaacovlozowick.blogspot.com/2...inians-in.html

Elder of Ziyon yesterday ran a story according to which Arabs can immigrate without impediment between Arab states... unless they're Palestinians. Palestinians are not allowed to be naturalized in other Arab states, according to a policy agreed upon by the Arab League “to avoid dissolution of their identity and protect their right to return to their homeland.” (says this fellow).

Elder speculates that large numbers of Palestinians would move if only they could; I'm more interested in the hypocrisy. Think of all the people in the West and in the Arab world who castigate Israel for impeding Palestinian immigration (mostly since 2003), while somehow overlooking the fact that they're not allowed into most of the Arab world, either.

If anyone has additional information about the matter, feel free to enlighten us in the comments.