The Refugee Working Group
This working group focuses on the sensitive issue of Middle East refugees. Family reunification, training
and job creation, public health, child welfare and social and economic infrastructure are among the
subjects addressed by this forum. The underlying principle of this group is to improve the living
conditions for refugees in their present location. The members of the refugee working group have reached
an understanding on the appropriate frameworks for discussing various aspects of the Palestinian refugee
problem, in accordance with the terms of the Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles and the Israeli-Jordanian Common Agenda
signed in September 1993, as follows:
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The question of the 1948 refugees will be discussed within the framework of the permanent status
negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
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Modalities for the admission of persons displaced from the West Bank and Gaza in 1967 will be decided
by an Israeli-Palestinian-Jordanian-Egyptian committee.
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The re-admission of former Palestinian residents of the West Bank and Gaza who had overstayed their
permits abroad will be discussed in the bilateral negotiations with Jordan.
The above understanding, achieved in Tunis at the fourth round of talks, enabled the working group to
focus on the humanitarian aspects of the refugee issue -- family reunification and improving living
conditions. In this context, Israel agreed to approve 2,000 family reunification requests annually, thus
according permanent resident status to an additional 6,000 persons who had entered the territories as
visitors. In a further humanitarian act, Israel has permitted a number of individuals deported in the early
1970's due to prior terrorist activities, to return to the territories, together with their families.
In the round of talks which took place in Cairo (May 1994), more concrete plans were developed to ensure
a real and positive impact on the lives of the refugees. A substantial portion of the World Bank's
emergency assistance program will be directed toward this effort. The following activities were agreed
upon:
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Human Resources and Development: Several countries including Israel, the US, the
Netherlands, Germany, Turkey and China will be conducting courses for the refugees as follows:
paramedic training, a drylands agricultural seminar, a public sector management training course, an
animal health workshop, 'employment guaranteed' skills training program (to develop small and medium
scale enterprises in Gaza and the West Bank), agricultural training, public health, community planning
and education.
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Child Welfare: Sweden has agreed to make available $2 million for child welfare programs. A
conference on assistance to Palestinian children in the West Bank, Gaza and neighboring countries will
also be convened.
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Social and Economic Infrastructure: The U.S. is providing aid to develop housing facilities and
rehabilitation for refugees in Syria and Lebanon.
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Public Health: A regional laboratory is to be established in one of the West Bank cities in order
to compliment a Medical center already in place.
Sources: Israeli
Foreign Ministry |