On this day, as we celebrate the "Arab Expatriate's Day", and in light of the ongoing armed conflicts and disputes, which are increasing in their pace, intensity and expansion in the Arab region, and in a world where the number of expatriates from their homelands continues to grow, and in an era where all international norms, treaties and laws are facing a test of their effectiveness and impact in confronting the brutal and irrational force of the Israeli occupation state, the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (LAS) reaffirms its absolute rejection of all forms of forced displacement of people of Gaza, the West Bank or East Jerusalem by Israel, the occupying power, and its continued attempts to eliminate the refugee issue by liquidating the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon, which has led to the largest internal and external displacement, and to civilian casualties, including refugees, in addition to its targeting of the border crossings between Lebanon and Syria.
On this day, LAS stresses the necessity of ending the suffering of Palestinian expatriates who have been away from their homeland for a long time and live on the dream of returning to it, and to protect their inalienable rights to self-determination and their right to return to their homes from which they were displaced and to be compensated, in implementation of international legitimacy resolutions, especially UN General Assembly Resolution No. 194 of 1948. LAS also stresses the rejection of the so-called redefinition of the Palestinian refugee and his legal status or the procedures leading to the liquidation of UNRWA, the latest of which was the Knesset's decision to ban the work of the UN agency, and stresses the importance of supporting it to enable it to continue carrying out its mandate and assume its full responsibilities towards Palestinian refugees.
LAS points out that it has repeatedly warned that the expansion of the conflict would lead to catastrophic consequences for the region and the world, with one of the serious risks being the mass displacement of migrants and refugees and an increase in irregular movement to escape aggression, preserve life and seek to reach a safe place.
LAS also takes this opportunity to highlight the positive role of Arab expatriates abroad, as Arab expatriate communities play a significant role in strengthening social, cultural and economic relations between their home countries and the countries hosting them. Their contributions are diverse and include several fields such as economy, investment, education, scientific research, culture, arts, sports and humanitarian work, in addition to the political field, especially their role in supporting the Palestinian cause through political advocacy, media awareness and financial support, and opposition to the Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, in addition to the influence of Arab American votes in the recent U.S. presidential elections.
Her Excellency Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General, Head of Social Affairs Sector, stated that LAS efforts to benefit from the expertise and capacity of Arab expatriates are ongoing, especially in the field of social affairs, the latest of which was the organization of the "First Arab Conference On Expatriate Health Professionals' Role In Strengthening Regional Health Systems", which was held on 19 and 20/10/2024 under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, and was organized by LAS in cooperation with the Ministry of Health in Jordan, the Arab Board of Health Specializations, the United Nations Population Fund for Arab States, and the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. Ambassador Abu Ghazaleh stresses the importance of such events in highlighting the role of Arab expatriate competencies and encouraging them to transfer their expertise to their home countries to contribute to advancing development in Arab countries.
