Illega 1 Immigration
Ever since the fighting in Palestine stopped there has been a steady trickle of Arab refugees crossing the frontier between Jordan and Israel in the endeavour to return to their own homes. So persistent has been this flow that in the past year the Arab popula- tion of Israel has, it is estimated, more than doubled, and is now perhaps as high as 200,000. These returning refugees are not welcomed by the Israeli Government, and in the past week a good deal has been heard of some of the more unsavoury means which are being used to head them off. It is now known that a large party of Arabs who had slipped across the frontier were rounded up by Israeli officials and driven in trucks to the southern wilderness, where they were discharged in the desolate region of the Wadi Araba. Many of them died of hunger and thirst, and survivors allege that in the course of their expulsion violence and even torture were used on them. Unfortunately, there is no reason to suppose that these stories are untrue. The Israeli frontier force has for some time been doing its best to check clandestine movement across the frontier, and apparently believes that terrorism is the most effec- tive deterrent. It would be reassuring to learn that these activities were carried out without the knowledge or approval of the Israeli Government, but in the absence of any denial the presumption is that the policy of violent expulsion is an official one. It ought to be unnecessary to convince the leaders of Israel that it is impossible to prevent the " illegal " immigration of desperate refugees who are trying to reach what they believe to be their rightful home. All the moral and political arguments in favour of " illegal " immigra- tion are to be found in their own speeches and writings during the last ten years of the mandate. No harm would be done if Mr. Ben Gurion re-read some of them today.
