There are emerging reports suggesting that Somaliland may be considering accepting a significant number of Gazan refugees in exchange for formal recognition.
If this turns out to be true, it would have serious consequences:
A. It would make Somaliland complicit in the ongoing genocide and forced displacement of Palestinians, effectively facilitating Israeli colonization and annexation of Gaza.
B. While I sympathize with the plight of the Palestinian people, such a decision would burden future generations of Somalilanders with Arab-Somali sectarian tensions and potential conflict.
History has shown that large-scale Palestinian refugee migrations often lead to instability in host nations. There are twomajor historical precedents that illustrate this:
There is a reason Egypt has fortified its border and why no Arab state has been willing to accept large numbers of Palestinian refugees. Doing so gives Israel a free hand to annex Palestinian lands while exporting the conflict elsewhere.
To believe that they will peacefully integrate into Somaliland without pushing for territorial claims or, worse, attempting to turn Somaliland into a puppet state for their struggle against Israel is naïve at best and dangerously misguided at worst. Fact is, no country where there are racial differences between two groups, where in the two groups are about equal, they live peacefully.
Somalis should not be responsible for solving the crises of the Middle East when we already have enough of our own. Regardless of whether one supports Somali unity or Somaliland’s independence, our primary concern should be ensuring that Somalis—from Djibouti to the NFD—remain in control of our own destiny.
I would rather see a seceded Somaliland than an Arabized and colonized one.
If not my words, then look at the actions, where are the Egyptians, Saudis, Kuwaitis? Why aught this burden fall on us?
If this turns out to be true, it would have serious consequences:
A. It would make Somaliland complicit in the ongoing genocide and forced displacement of Palestinians, effectively facilitating Israeli colonization and annexation of Gaza.
B. While I sympathize with the plight of the Palestinian people, such a decision would burden future generations of Somalilanders with Arab-Somali sectarian tensions and potential conflict.
History has shown that large-scale Palestinian refugee migrations often lead to instability in host nations. There are twomajor historical precedents that illustrate this:
- Jordan – Jordan accepted a massive influx of Palestinian refugees. Encouraged by these refugees, Jordan was drawn into another war with Israel, which it lost, leading to even more displaced Palestinians settling in the country. Once they neared half of the population, Palestinian factions attempted to overthrow the monarchy, bombed airliners, and destabilized the country. Only with the support of Pakistan was the monarchy able to suppress the revolt in what became known as Black September. Since then, Jordan’s support for the Palestinian cause has been significantly restrained.
- Lebanon – After being expelled from Jordan, Palestinian factions, led by the PLO, moved en masse into Lebanon, triggering the Lebanese civil war. Their objective was to turn Lebanon into a staging ground for attacks against Israel, dragging the country into prolonged instability and conflict.
There is a reason Egypt has fortified its border and why no Arab state has been willing to accept large numbers of Palestinian refugees. Doing so gives Israel a free hand to annex Palestinian lands while exporting the conflict elsewhere.
To believe that they will peacefully integrate into Somaliland without pushing for territorial claims or, worse, attempting to turn Somaliland into a puppet state for their struggle against Israel is naïve at best and dangerously misguided at worst. Fact is, no country where there are racial differences between two groups, where in the two groups are about equal, they live peacefully.
Somalis should not be responsible for solving the crises of the Middle East when we already have enough of our own. Regardless of whether one supports Somali unity or Somaliland’s independence, our primary concern should be ensuring that Somalis—from Djibouti to the NFD—remain in control of our own destiny.
I would rather see a seceded Somaliland than an Arabized and colonized one.
If not my words, then look at the actions, where are the Egyptians, Saudis, Kuwaitis? Why aught this burden fall on us?
